A Visit to Elizabeth

Let me say it again, this season I am captivated by the story of Mary. And last week I reflected on Mary's ability to look to the Lord. Her ability to look above and beyond her situation and perspective to see the greater picture.

And today I find myself taking a step back. Between the time of finding out she was pregnant to her actually declaring her praise was a journey.

Luke 1:39 "and then Mary made haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth."

She knew no one would understand. She knew the consequences of being a single mother back in the day. She ran to a refuge, her cousin Elizabeth.

We all know that John the Baptist was the one who "prepared the way" for Jesus (Isaiah 40:30, Mark 1:3). However, as John prepared the way for Jesus, I believe that Elizabeth began the process by preparing the way for Mary.

Mary came to her, probably terrified, being taken off-guard in every way by this unexpected miracle. Cultural norms, age, and gender all working together against her. I feel like my problems (and the problems of every modern mom) diminish to almost nothing in comparison to what she was facing. She was probably terrified, but knowing if anyone would accept her it may be Elizabeth. However, I'm sure a hint of doubt lingered in her mind. Would her cousin embrace her with open arms, or turn her over to the elders? Always a trusted friend in the past, could this possibly be the moment where all things turned against her? Yet, as Mary entered their home, and before she could say much more than 'hello,' this was how Elizabeth greeted her:

 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:41-45, ESV)

Elizabeth was so in tune with the Lord that in the living of the day-to-day she became filled with the Spirit and spoke the most timely words to Mary's heart. She not only confirmed that this was the Lord's will, but confirmed that Mary was walking in the will of the Lord.

The affirmed that this was a "blessing." She confirmed that this, indeed was the Son of God. And she affirmed that Mary had made the right choice to believe in the promises of God.

God always prepares the way. He sends people ahead of us, to walk the journeys with us, and speak the truth of a situation so that we can see the light and join in our own song of praise.

This passage has just caused me to reflect on all the 'Elizabeth's' the Lord has put in my life during this season. Again, I'm not a single, a teenager, or living in the ancient far east. However, pregnancy, motherhood, and life in general hold a piece of the terrifying unknown. That's also why we have people who have gone ahead in the journey and can speak calm and hope into the chaos and uncertain. I am so thankful today for these people (I hope you all know who you are). And I encourage those that are Elizabeth's to take the initiative to speak peace to the Mary's and the Mary's to seek out Elizabeth's.

On Christmas "the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:15).God came to be with us so that we could see God. Mary and Elizabeth were apart of this work as Elizabeth walked with Mary and spoke the truth of God over her life. We continue this work as we walk with one another through this journey of life.  As Christ was God to us, let us be Christ to one another. Merry Christmas!
 

Mary's Song

Every time Christmas rolls around I love to reflect on the Christmas story. Between meditating on the actual scripture passages, singing caroled hymns, putting up the Nativity there's no shortage of reflection. And every year there seems to be a new character in the Nativity story that catches my attention. This year it's Mary. Maybe it's because since I've married a Mexican and we pass the Virgin Guadalupe every time we go to buy a concha. Maybe it's because I work in a crisis pregnancy center and, oh yeah, this was probably the biggest unplanned pregnancy of all time. Or maybe it's because I, myself, am pregnant.

But wait. Let's back up, because I haven't blogged since May and all this has happened since then. So incase you haven't heard the tornado of my thoughts, I moved, got married, and changed jobs all in a month. 2 weeks later I find out I'm pregnant. Now on the horizons there's more change which is a bit of a secret for now. But let's just say I'm just wanting a little taste of normal. Most of these changes are happy. Some have been upsetting and sad. All of these changes are good. But let's face the facts: change, even good change is a difficult whirlwind to ride through. So let's just say the Father and I have had a few sit-down cry sessions as I'm working on "managing" this transition.

Then we have Mary. The original "16 and Pregnant". And all of my crazy is put into perspective. Little Virgin Mary is stopped by a stranger on the street and told "Hey you're pregnant!" Talk about a turn of events. She was engaged in a time where virginity was value and let's face is, the only way to get pregnant was to...
To loose hold of that sacred treasure, as a woman, would mean a death sentence (I'm not kidding, Matthew 1:19).

So here's me crying out, because I want some normal. And here's Mary's answer:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”--(Luke 1:46-55)

Mary's response was not that of fear and frustration, but of trust and hope. How much I have to learn. I think there are times where we need honesty with God. There are times we need to grieve and pour out our hearts. Then I believe there are times when we need to look beyond our fear into the hope we have. This is our time to praise. When we focus our eyes on the one who's power is stronger and greater than ours we begin to see the bigger picture that the Lord is at work and we can trust. He is our Immanuel, God with us. That is the meaning of Christmas. Mary was the first to experience this truth and as we sit in praise, waiting for God's plan to come to fullness we experience the Christmas story in our own lives.

Monkey Biscuits

Daily creation: monkey biscuits. That's what you get when you try to make chocolate chip cookies and substitute cream cheese for half the butter because someone said it was good. Then you substitute  banana for eggs. I think these would make a great kids breakfast. When I took them out of the oven my friend said, should we flip it? They look like pancakes. Not pancakes, not cookies, but delicious. 

Monkey Biscuits

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
2tbsp milk
1cup sugar
2 bananas
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
2 giant Hershey bars, chopped

Mix together everything except the flour and chocolate
Add flour. Then add chocolate.
With an ice cream scoop place even scoops of mixture on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or golden brown on the edges and bottom.

Keivan Needs A Dog

Hey Friends! Thanks for all your feedback on the No Poo Problem. I will be testing out some of the options mentioned and be posting in the next couple weeks.

In the mean time, I wanted to clue you into the next big thing happening in the Twin Cities. Remember when I did the Muscle Walk earlier this month. This is the follow-up event I promised was coming.

If you like Mexican Food, Have a few extra dollars lying around, and want to make the difference in the world, well let's hang out!

What: Fundraiser to Get Keivan a Service Dog
When: May 27th from 5pm-8pm
Where: Fiesta Cancun in Eagan, Minnesota.
Why: Because every boy needs a dog, especially Keivan

So come meet my friend Keivan, enjoy so tacos and guacamole at (I kid you not) the best Mexican Restaurant in town, and join in on making a difference. 

Invite your friends, invite your mom, invite your mom's friends. This is a great opportunity and I wouldn't want you to miss it.
See you there!

No-Poo Problems

I have been working on a no-poo solution for my hair for the past couple of weeks. Warning: none of these methods have worked. However, I thought I'd share my journey so far and ask for any suggestions.

I have so far tried out a couple methods. My problem is, since I switched to using coconut oil as a conditioner, I can't seem to find a recipe that will get the oil out of my hair. I'll scrub in the solution, let it sit 20-30 minutes, rinse out, blow-dry my hair, and what do you know? Still greasy, so I'm left to rinse it out with REAL shampoo.

Here's recipe #1:
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup aloe vera gel.

Recipe #2:
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1 egg yolk

The benefits:

Honey: Antioxidants and nutrients
Aloe Vera: Moisture and nutrients
Egg: Vitamin E and A and Grease cutting

Results for both, again, greasy hair. I'm looking forward to trying the aloe vera honey without the coconut oil. Maybe I will try doing this in the next week or so. However, with the coconut oil I'm struggling to find a solution. Many Pinterest girls said the egg yolk got the oil out of their hair just fine, because egg yolk breaks down grease. That's not what I found. My hair was a crunchy, greasy mess. When you blow dry your hair for 10 minutes and it still looks as wet as when you stepped out of the shower and you can get enough oil to use as lotion from it, that's a problem.

So I'm opening it up to my readers. What are your suggestions? Does anyone know of a no-poo solution to get coconut oil out of hair?
 

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The Heart of Creativity

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I've been doing these Adventures in Green Living for about a month now and as I have been my creativity has been booming. That's why I started it.

Confession Time: Before I began writing these, I was feeling burnt out. My loyal friends and some followers could probably notice by some of the things I'd shared.

Life is draining. Life in winter can be even more so, but isn't that how the seasons work. We have times of drought where inspiration and spiritual wellness is sparse. Then here comes the spring. Like the first bout of lightening striking the Earth to fill it with  nitrogen to spark the birth of new seedlings. So a burst of inspiration must be set forth in the human mind and body to produce the life of new creativity. Hence has been my Adventures in Green Living.

Each project produces a realm of more ideas. More thoughts about what can I make with this? Or how can I make that?

I am a believer in creation. Maybe it's because I'm a creative type, but I believe that creativity is one of God's doorways of expressing himself through human beings. Creativity is the meeting of humanity and divinity. Creativity is prayer.

This may be the noticing of creation. Ann Voskamp in her book One Thousand Gifts declares this as Eucharist Deo, or the giving of thanks. It is seeing the hand of God and giving thanks.

It may be in creation itself, when we empty our minds to hear God's voice and declare its truth. This in Meditation and Prayer, aligning our hearts with his.

Creativity is the work of Prayer. Creative living is a prayerful life, where we take the time to notice and interact with God.

I've started meeting with some friends for a creativity group and last night we watched a Ted Talk with Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love. And she talked about how in this century, with the evolution of post-modern thought, we have neglected the concept that creativity is outside of us. The ancients believed that all expressions of creativity were the expressions of a higher power being made manifest through human encounter. She continued to talk about how upon the viewing of a play or performance, when struck with the awe of creativity, the ancients would yell "Alla!Alla!" Meaning God. This later, through immigration and cross culture in Spain became "Ole!" which we hear declared in all sorts of cheers.

With post modern thought we have forgotten God, which has lead all the pressure for creativity to be upon the artist. He is responsible to produce out of his own mind. Not merely be an observer and tool of divinity.

As I continue to explore creative living and making it a part of my prayer life, this is my goal: that I may experience God more fully. You'll be occasionally seeing me post more about this as I continue exploring with my creative friends. However, my challenge is to see God. To seek to be in his presence. As David, maybe the greatest Biblical artists "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever, to gaze upon his beauty" Psalm 27:4.
I want to be like David. I want to dwell in the presence. I want to live in creativity. I want to experience God in my all day everyday.

So here's to a new adventure, or maybe not new, but continually growing and evolving, to understand what it means to walk with Jesus.

DIY Eyeliner and mascara

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So I have some good news and some bad news. 

Good news first: 

DIY eyeliner is the best thing I have ever done. It's so easy and left some serious definition to my eyes. 

Bad news: DIY Mascara is probably the worst idea I've ever had. 

So first I'm going to tell you all about the eyeliner and then going to talk about my mascara mishap and why I'll never try to DIY this product again. 

Eyeliner

Ingredients: 

-activated charcoal capsules

-water

Break 4-6 activated charcoal capsules into a small container (this is super makeshift, but I put the empty metal cup from an old tea light into an old altoids tin and used this as my container. We'll call it recycling). Then add drops of water and stir with toothpick until desired texture. 

Result: 

I used an eyeliner brush to apply

Mascara

Now off to the disaster. Sorry there aren't any pictures for this part, but this was seriously the messy thing I had ever done. The recipes I found said: 

1tsp coconut oil

1tsp Shea butter

11/2 tsp bees wax

4 tsp aloe Vera gel

1-2 capsules activated charcoal. 

Melt the first 4 ingredients either on the stove or in a microwave safe bowl for 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Stir in the activated charcoal. Transfer to a cleaned and sterilized mascara container. (May put into a plastic bag and squeeze into container). 

First thing that made this a struggle: have you ever tried to clean out a mascara container? This seriously took an hour. I moved all the dishes out of the sink and then spent an hour trying to scrub out the mascara residue from my old container. Note my previous mascar was done for. I could 't get a drop out of it. But it still had dried out or mascara stuck to the sides that was impossible to get. So after and hour of scrubbing, soaping, slushing, it came clean and I sterilized it in my dishwasher. 

Then I used the microwave version, because remember, a part of this is the recipe needs to be quick and simple. I'm a busy girl and I don't have eight hours a week to make a tube of mascara. So I melted the first 4 ingredients together and the stir in the charcoal with a toothpick. Then I poured it into the mascara container. But guess what! As soon as I put it into the container, it turned solid again. Then it clumped around the brush! I thought it just must have been a fluke. It would probably work. So I finished cleaning up, which was all sort of another adventure. Because the main ingredients were wax and oil, it stuck to my dish and because it was black with charcoal it was stuck and black. This took another hour. I had to use vinegar, baking soda, coffee grounds, my Norwex spiri sponge ( which is now ruined). Then I put it in the dishwasher. So now between all those things it is mostly clean. So then I had to wash my hands. I looked and felt like a grease monkey and it took forever to get the stuff out of my fingernails. I had to shower to get clean again. 

Finally I was able to apply it and it was so chinky it wouldn't even go on my eye. I even tried adding some saline solution to break it up. Nope! Worst adventure ever. 

I know when I'm defeated, so I ran to The Wedge and bought a tube of 

Zulu Mascara. It's mineral based, natural, organic, and not tested on animals. It was recommended by the staff over other brands. And it was only $14. So far I love it! i will need go back and will definitely not try makin mascara again. Even if I found another recipe, the clean up was too messy to make it worth it. Guess I'll be leaving this one to the professionals. 

May Day Challenge Winner!

The winner of the May Day Challenge is my beautiful friend Emily Pooler. She's a new mom and I can't think of anyone more deserving of free Norwex Product. Her submission can be seen above. She has been reusing the cardboard that her family uses as canvas for art project. She is one of the most artistic and creative people I have met. Thanks for reading and participating Emily! You're fantastic!

Springtime and Planting

 

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It's when winter melts away and growth takes place (both in the physical earth realm and the spiritual). All the harshness of the snow and cold is replaced by the green ness and life that has been in hibernation for a season.

 During this past season of winter, all of my plants got ruined. Through cats and icy windows, all of them died. I was left a little bitter. However, now I'm starting new, with a fresh batch of plants. I have tomatos, basil, and cilantro. So basically, I can make pizza sauce and salsa.

Because I live in a basement, it has been quite the feat to get them enough sunlight. However, so far, I have taken them to work, for a drive, and to the lake in an effort to get them enough sun. Here's their progress and soon I'll be looking for a fun way to repot them (any suggestions or recommendations for repotting plants would be highly desired).

Coconutty Muffins (Gluten Free)

 

 

 

 
 
It's time for another recipe. I have a wonderful friend (actually several wonderful friends) with a gluten recipe, and as I have posted my Super Simple Banana Bread, which is one of my favorite recipes I have created, I decided why not attempt a gluten free Banana Bread. I used the  Gutsy Coconut Flour Banana Bread recipe that I had pinned on Pinterest as a reference. Coconut flour sucks up moisture, so I needed to use a special recipe. The banana bread was a little dry, and was so coconutty that I couldn't rationalize calling it Banana Bread, so I tweaked it and made them into muffins. Hope you enjoy them as much as my friends.

Coconutty Muffins

1 cup coconut flour

3-4 Large bananas (very ripe and smashed)

4 Large pasture-raised eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon raw, local honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put cupcake liners in muffin tin, or grease muffin tin.

2. Mix bananas, eggs, oil, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla

3.  Add Baking Soda

4.  Add Coconut flour. Mix until all is moist.

5. Spoon into 8-10 muffin cups.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

7. When done, take out and immediately place in plastic ziplock bag (allowing them to cool in the ziplock bag helped absorb all the moisture and make them moist, not dry.

8. Enjoy with a latte.

Minnesota Muscle Walk

Taking a little break from the Living Green Challenge, I wanted to highlight why I didn't post yesterday.

 

This is Keivan (The little boy, not the handsome guy next too him):

 Keivan has a form of Muscular Dystrophy called Charot-Marie-tooth (Shark-o-marie-tooth).

As the condition progresses, Keivan is going to need extra assistance, and therefore is going to need a service dog.

 

Every boy needs a dog, some just REALLY need a dog.

 

In short, yesterday was the Muscular Dystrophy Associations Walk. So yesterday, we walked to get Keivan a service dog. 

I'll be posting more on this in the weeks to come. There's still more that needs to be done and there will be a fund raiser at Fiesta Cancun this month. So come help support. All you have to do is eat great Mexican Food and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Keivan. Plus, there will be a silent auction.

Norwex Basic Package

As I've blogged before, I've started selling Norwex (and if you participate in the May Day Challenge you will be entered to win $15 in Norwex Product to keep you growing green). I had to do my house chores today, so I figured what an awesome opportunity to try out some Norwex. One of my jobs was to clean the mirror. So since I didn't feel the mirror was dirty enough for this demonstration I did a good job of smearing it up. I rubbed toothpaste on the mirror (something you would find on a bathroom mirror) and wrote Norwex in it. Here is a picture of the before: 

Then I got to work. I used the basic package for this job.

First I wiped down the mirror with the enviro cloth (the blue one) and water. The. I used the window cloth (the purple cloth)  to dry and shine.

Results? 

Crystal clear! And I even used the two rags to clean my bathtub, sinks, shower, and 2 more mirrors afterwards. Simply use, rinse, and dry. Then I put it in the wash to use next week! Remember, you can win this. Or it is free when you sign up to become a Norwex Consultant :) 

DIY Lotion Bar

This is by far my favorite day. I ran out of body lotion about a week ago and have been getting dry and crusty ever since. Then I scrolled through Pinterest to get some lotion ideas. The most common ones I found had coconut or olive oil, plus a Shea or cocoa butter and maybe some other oils thrown in along with some essential oils. So with that knowledge I got to work.

I walked down to The Wedge and bought myself about a cup of Cocoa Butter disks. I took it home. Melted in some coconut oil with orange and lavandar essential oils (so I smell like chocolate lavandar Orange, or candy) and then let it cool. When I started letting it cool I realized it wasn't hardening up like I thought it should. I mean, I didn't want it to be a rock, just like lotion. However it remained liquid. So I threw it in the fridge for 20 minutes. When I came back it was lotion texture, so I pulled it back out and set it on my dresser. Te next day it was rock hard and I couldn't even scoop it out of the jar.

Plan B: I melted it down, poured it into molds, and set them in the fridge.

Result: Cocoa orange lavandar body perfection. Just roll it on your body and feel the benefits. Initially it comes on a little greasy, but once I rubbed it in, it was just like any other lotion.

Here's the recipe. Enjoy:

1 cup cocoa butter
1cup coconut oil
10 drops orange essential oil
10 drops lavandar essential oil

1. Place cocoa butter in a Pyrex bowl and soften in microwave for about 2 minutes.
2. Add coconut oil and melt for another 2 minutes or until all is liquid.
3. Add essential oils and stir.
4. Pour into molds (I used cupcake liners in muffin tins, plus the. The liner acts like a wrapper for the lotion.
5. Cool in refrigerator until hard. Does not need to be refrigerated afterwards.

Use every morning, every night, wheneve you're crust, or whenever you need a pick me up and want to smell like candy :)

Don't forget:  May Day Challenge starts tomorrow! 

Recycled Toothbrush

Today the dental adventures continue. I'm not so brave as to make a new DIY toothpaste. However, I did get a new toothbrush. They were on sale 2 for $4 at The Wedge and they're made completely out of recycled yogurt cups.

Preserve Toothbrushes:
When I first brought this up to my boyfriend, he was a little hesitant, saying "a recycled toothbrush?" Raised his eyebrows. However, I assured him they're just made out of products that used to be something else, and that way they save the earth. I'm a huge fan of that. Now, in review, the handle was stiffer than what I am used to. I'm used to a handle with a bendable end. This one is simply curved, so it still gets all the hard to reach places, just in a different way. Also, I'm used to seeing special stuff on my toothbrush, like "tongue brusher" and "plaque buster." None of that here. I have to rely on the bristles to brush my tongue and the cirular motion to get all the plaque off, (which is usually needed with or without special features. Have to say, I think it was my money's worth. Now I just with they had a replaceable head instead of having to replace the whole toothbrush, making it more Eco-friendly. 

Sick Day!

I'm sick. Not I-can't-get-out-of-bed, going-to-die-today, coughing-up-a-lung sick. More like the I'm-going-to-have-to-trudge-through-work-with-a-headache-and-congestion-for-the-next-three-weeks sick. However, yesterday I was sure I had the early symptoms of strep. We've had 3confirmed cases at work this past week. So yesterday when I feel a slightly tender tickle in my throat, I feel my nose and head congested, plus I'm tired beyond belief, yes, yes, I go into panic mode thinking I may have strep.
I pull my contacts open so I'll have the clinics number available to get a throat culture the next day. I know there is a lot of herbalists out there that debate whether you can just tough-out strep or not. By I know that antibiotics shorten the time of being contagious from 3weeks to 1week.

Lucky me, I woke up and had no sore throat. So that's a basic garuntee I don't have strep throat. However, last night I cancelled all my plans, ate chicken soup, went to bed early and tried and herbal concoction I'm going to share.

When my mom has a sore throat scare she generally prescribes a tonic that looks like this:

2tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1tsp honey
Cinnamon
Cayenne
Lemon juice
All diluted with boiling water. Sip until the soar throat is gone.

Personally I can't stand this concoction. Nor can my little sister who says "It tastes like death." So there you have it. 2 votes NO! Something about the apple cider vinegar and cayenne make me squeal in dread.

However, I can't deny the health benefits of this remedy to anyone that is suffering from illness (especially sore throat). In short*:

Apple cider vinegar: antioxidants and bacteria killer

Honey: antibacterial, antioxidant, strengthens immune system.

Cinnamon: antioxidants and anti-inflammatory

Cayenne: anti cold, cough, flu, sore throat, and allergies (has been called a natural anti-biotic)

Lemon: vitamin C, flushes out toxins, anti-inflammatory

Boiling water: I'm not sure what the health benefits are warm vs. Cold. However I do know that when I was in China it was impossible to find cold water. They say it is better for the health to drink it boiling. All water fountains came with cold, hot, and boiling features. However, even the cold was above room temperature.

*the links are simply one website I have read with the common claims I have seen on many websites and health stores. Also, my descriptions are just summaries on how these ingredients may help with a cold, flu, sore throat, and whatever other common illness may be going on.

As I said, i can't deny the health benefits, but I can't stand a those things together. So here is my own tonic.

Citrusy Sore Throat Tonic

Honey (to taste, but I use 1-2 teaspoons)
1-2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
2 lemon slices
1 lime slice (I don't know the health benefits of lime, but I love the taste of lemon-lime)
Boiling water.

Place all ingredients in a mug. Stir and enjoy (add cinnamon if desired).

Note I didn't add cayenne. However, because I know it helps cut colds I took one tsp of honey sprinkled with cayenne on the side. If you like Mexican chile candy you'll love this.

This remedy worked so well I didn't have a sore throat the next day and was far less congested.

If you need to use this, get well soon, and remember May Day Challenge starts in 2 days :)

May Day Challenge: 3 Days Left!

3 Day left until we start the May Day Challenge! To egg on your inspiration I'm using my brand new Norwex Snack Bag! I ordered it a couple weeks ago, because I use so many ziplock bags when I pack my lunch and it came yesterday. It's made from the same material as the Norwex sandwich wrap. Such a great solution. Durable and reusable. Simply wash out when finished and use again.

You could win this and other Norwex product when you join the May Day Challenge. Simply post to Facebook your green adventure with the hashtag: #adventurouslygreen

May Day Challenge

As I mentioned in my post about my Kleen Kanteen, in my Kleen Kanteen came a brochure called the Refuse Single Use Challenge. Basically, it's challenging consumers to take a pledge to reuse items. Refuse to just use something once and throw it away. Become sustainable.

So this had me thinking. I became inspired to challenge my own readers. Starting MAY 1st, I'm challenging all of you to join me on this green adventure. For 1 WEEK (May 1st-May 8th) I challenge you to GO GREEN!

Here's What You Do:

May Day Challenge

1. Choose One Way to Go Green: Maybe that means switching to an animal safe cosmetic, switching to a reusable tumbler, or just starting to recycle. Whatever it is, just do it. Also, you can do more than one. That is totally acceptable.

2. Document: Take a Picture of your green adventure.

3. Submit: Post your picture on Facebook with the hashtag: #adventurouslygreen

4. Win: At the end of the week all participants will be put into a drawing for $15 in Norwex Product. Get inspired by flipping through the catalog Here:Norwex 2015 Catalog

The countdown begins: 3 Days!

Klean Kanteen

Anyone that has spent anytime with me this winter probably knows my struggle with the coffee cup. I have been through, not 1. Not 2. Not 4. 5!

I've been through 5 travel mugs!

For those of you that have heard the struggle and are  sick of hearing my drama, skip down a paragraph. For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, stay tuned.

I bought myself a Starbucks DIY photo mug in November. I put photos in it from my trip to China. Then, when Christmas time hit, I put some Christmas themed card stock in the container (trying to be festive and all. Well the cardstock got water-logged in the DIY part and while I was trying to in clog it it broke.
Round 2. After Christmas I went to Starbucks again, because Starbucks has amazing Post-Christmas Clearance and I purchase a cute ceramic tumbler. Not only that, but after I bought the tumbler, I had enough stars on my gold card to get a free drink. So I take my brand new tumbler in with me to Starbucks the next day (I always treat myself to Starbucks on weekends I work). I get my tumbler filled with a Flat White (favorite drink ever!) Then I head to work. I get to work. My hands are full so I set down my tumbler to open the door to the office. Crash! As I open the office door, my tumbler falls to the ground, not even a sip taken. Sad Saturday!
Round 3. I steal my Dad's travel mug for a week. (All my baristas thought it was so great I was using my Dad's mug)
Round 4. Stealing's wrong, so my boyfriend bought me a nice plastic, double wall thermos from Marshall's. So this one lasted about 2 weeks, then it mysteriously fell from my counter and shattered.
Round 5. I give up, go to Target and get a $3 mug from the Bargain section until I figure out a better solution. Of course the outside wall broke apart from the inside wall and it spills on me everytime I sip from it. 

I love the idea of travel mugs. They're better for the environment by cutting down on paper waste, I can take it with me. However, I have he luck where mine breaks, falls apart, or just doesn't keep my coffee warm while I'm driving from point A to point B.

I was about to despair of all hope. Then I spied my roomie's new travel mug on the counter. Siver rim on the bottom. Color black. A kid with a ring on top to carry. Kleen Kanteen on the side.

So I was nosy. And after doing some research, I learned that Kleen Kanteen is an outdoor gear brand. It's mad with stainless steal and claims to keep your hot stuff hot for up to 6hours! Wow!
I mean everything else has failed, so it's worth a go. Plus they are huge advocates for reduce, reuse, recycle. (They had a brochure for a 30 day challenge in my Kanteen, but more on that later).

So I bought one. Beautiful Mint green color and so far I've had it for 3 days. And it's the best! I dropped it a few times on accident and it hasn't busted. I put coffee in it at 6:30 a.m. And at noon it is steal steaming, meaning I don't have to chug my morning juice. Also, it rinses out so slick. Unlike plastic thermoses that absorb the taste of coffee, the stainless steal rinses out without any taste and I can put water in it that will taste like water, not coffee basket residue.

So far, Klean Kanteen=success.
Stay tuned for more on the Kleen Kanteen Challenge!

Witch Hazel Astringent

 Finally guys, that project I told your had been testing all week is finished. I just couldn't feel right about making something and giving it my stamp of approval without actually testing, especially after the Toothpaste Fiasco. 

So here it is! With a stamp of approval, Witch Hazel-Grapefruit. 

Witch Hazel found at your local Target for $1.99)- it's a natural astringent. Aka as a blackhead, zit killing, pore-shrinking machine. 

Grapefruit essential oil- I found out this is an antibacterial(so cleans your face) a stimulate, so it wakes you up (since I use this in the morning I found this to be a benefit) and an anti-depressant, plus so many more things.

Witch Hazel Astringent

1 bottle witch hazel

10-20 drops grapefruit essential oil. 

1. Open witch hazel

2. Add essential oil

3. Put cap back on and shake (shake well before each use) 

4. Use a cotton ball or face pad to apply every morning. 

5. Follow up with moisturizer and additional beauty routine. 

And the results: I had a couple small pimples and the beginning, and in a day they were gone. Also, visibly reduced the noticeability of pores. 

Good Morning!

*Note: after I wrote the article, a friend clued me in that citrus oils are photosyngetic, making your skin more suceptible to the sun. So instead of citrus, maybe use peppermint for that wakening. Also One site said that you can dilute the oil and that should weaken it enough for facial use. Again, shake before each use to ensure you don't get an overly strong concentration of oil. 

Egg carton Snack Dish

Again, those following, I am going on an adventure of going green, which means reducing, reusing, and recycling whenever and wherever possible. So this week I needed some Peanut Butter. So of course, I took my BPA free plastic container to my local co-op ( The Wedge) and ground my own peanut butter! (I don't care how many times I go to the co-op that still amazes me).

I was using it in a recipe and when I ran out of my usual breakfast food this morning I though, peanut butter and apples it is. Only problem was, I had used all of my tiny storage containers, and who really wants to take a tiny bit of peanut butter in a Sandwhich sized container? Not I!

I've tried plastic wrap, wax paper, and Sandwhich bags all in the past, but all were super messy and I only got half of the peanut butter and the rest stuck to wrap. So next plan: egg carton caddy. :)

This was the best thing I have done for my peanut butter. I was worried I was going to get little shreds of carton in my peanut butter, but no such luck. I cut a cup off of the carton, spooned the peanut butter into the cup, and covered it with just a tiny bit of plastic wrap for the next morning.

Result: perfection:)

Yes, the carton did soak up a bit of the oils, but since the carton material is so absorbent, it didn't make a mess. Plus, not of the butter stuck to the side. Definitely doing this again. Plus, It goes into te compost bin, making it even more Eco friendly :) 

Public service announcement

So some of you know this, some of you don't, but a couple weeks ago I started a new blog called adventures in green living. I had gotten on this trend of testing out DIY projects and thought, why don't I blog about my reuse, reduce, recycle renovation. So I stared a new blog and found out yesterday if I stick with my old one I could get paid. So out with the new, in with the old. Maybe older really is better. Either way, for those of you that ha been following, my green blog is going to be on this blog and for those of you who didn't know:More Green Posts Here. 

Norwex

So as I mentioned yesterday, and as my lovely Novio has encouraged me to, I am finally posting about Norwex.

I started selling Norwex about a month ago, because 1. All my friends were doing it. 2. Who doesn't like product discounts. 3. I absolutely love their make-up cloths.

So what is it? The best way I can some it up, is that Norwex is microfiber and silver put together to magically clean your house without water. For a more in-depth look at Norwex watch this video:

 

 

 

At this point I could either give you a Norwex speel, but I'll save that in case you want to host a party. Instead, I'm going to give 5 reasons why I use Norwex (and you maybe should too):

5 Reasons I Use Norwex

1. It's Green: It's good for the environment. Because I have started selling Norwex, I've had to start researching what is in other products and what makes Norwex different. When you start looking at the chemicals in Clorox, Lysol, Tide, even Cascade you'll be shocked. EWG scores all of the latest chemical products (as well as other products) on their health for people and the environment. When  saw that Cascade received an "F." I was shocked. This cleans my plates, where I put the food, I put in my mouth. YIKES! Norwex simply uses water and silver ions to clean everything!

2. Science Backs it: I was really skeptical of Norwex, but when I chatted with a friend that was a middle school science teacher, but now is a homeopathic health counseling expert, I found out that science really does back up Norwex. This stuff works. Needless to say, Norwex is all she uses.

3. Lazy Girl: I'll be honest, I hate cleaning. I absolutely hate it. I hate the chemicals. It's a drag to spray things and then wipe it down. I rather just grab a Lysol wipe and wipe it away. Well, Norwex is my solution to that. I simply get the cloth wet and wipe my stuff clean. 

4. Thrifty: Yes, the initial price of Norwex is more expensive. It seems a little odd to spend so much on just one little rag. However, when you think of the fact that in that little rag is a lifetime supply of Windex (Lysol, bleach, etc). It doesn't seem to bad. It's actually cost effective.

 

5. Kids Line: Norwex has a kids line. What other cleaning company do you know that actually has products for your kids to clean the house? None! In fact, most have a disclaimer saying: KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN! Not Norwex. Norwex even makes the cleaning supplies look like toys, so while your kids think they're playing they're actually cleaning the house. Saves mom a little energy.

 

Let me know if you'd like to learn more or host a party :)

Adventures in Green Living: DIY Toothpaste vs. Store Bought

About a month ago I started selling this product line called NORWEX. (I should really post a blog about Norwex, but that will be for another day). In short, Norwex is a line of green (eco-friendly) cleaning products that use the science of microfiber laced with silver ions to clean and anti-bac your home (like I said, i need a whole post about this).

All that to say, the more research I did on Norwex, chemicals in mainstream products, and what that does to your body. The more I realized, wow wouldn't be cool if I could actually go away from all mainstream products and make my own products! So here I am going, as I am running out of my everyday products, going to venture out in old-wives-tales and home-remedies to make my own products. Here goes week 1.

I ran out of toothpaste, and so went to the Internet to research (because clearly the Internet is the most reliable source.) And i found plenty of information and recipes. Here's just a few of the articles I found:
Wellness Mama
DIY Natural
Weed Em and Reep
 However, this seemed to be the post popular, and most copy-catted diy recipe that I found:

Homemade Toothpaste

This recipe called for:

4 Tbs coconut oil

4 Tbs bentonite clay

2-3 Tbs filtered water

1/2 tsp real sea salt

10-15 drops essential oil of choice (I used spearmint)

and a pinch of stevia if desired. 

I followed this recipe, plus added 1/2 tsp of baking soda, because the weed em and reep recipe was similar plus had baking soda. Plus I know that it is a natural whitener, because when I first started drinking coffee in college I received horrible stains on my teeth. Adding baking soda cleared those up fast./

Most of the websites shared information about what each ingredient does and why it is beneficial for the mouth. Again, a whole Internet of bloggers can't be wrong. 

So in the afternoon I whipped my recipe up and I tried it. 

The first thing I noticed is that this is not like store-bought toothpaste. I had to chunk it onto my toothbrush. Plus, it had a weird oily texture due to the coconut oil. But hey, coconut oil is good for you, right. The Internet said that it helps whiten and restore. So I brushed. 

In fact I've been brushing for a week. However, on day 3 I started to notice my mouth was a little sore. I thought, not big deal, maybe it's just my mouth adjusting. I kept brushing. 

By day 5 I had the worst sores in my mouth I had ever seen. I would post a picture, but no kidding, if you google "Cancer of the mouth" or "mouth ulcers" you'll get a pretty good look at what was going on. NOT pretty. I also noticed my teeth turning yellow. What!? What happened to the baking soda. At this point I decided to add a mouth rinse. Hydrogen peroxide is a good mouth rinse, and there's even instructions on how to use it on the back of the bottle. I mixed up a concoction that was put on the back of the bottle. Dilluted in water, plus I added stevia and 25 drops essential oils, peppermint. This seemed to work wonders. I got the freshness I had been missing from my store-bought toothpaste. Plus by day 6 my teeth were white. 

However, on day 6, and now on day 7 I have noticed my mouth ulcers are getting worse. I think it's time to ditch the toothpaste. 

Doing even more internet research, I've noticed there is a lot of controversy on whether brushing with baking soda is actually good for your teeth. If you do it right (like in a store bought paste, or with a store bought paste on occassion) it will work great. However, dangers can be abrasiveness to gums and enamel. Still trying to figure out the mouth ulcer issue, because baking soda is supposed to clear those up. 

In the meantime, going back to my regular store-bought toothpaste, and going to use my rinse to try to heal up my mouth wounds. Hopefully will have more success in round 2 of Adventures in Green Living!

Wrestling with the Easter Bunny

Romans 8:39 "neither heights, nor depths, nor anything in all creation can separate use from the Love of God found in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Easter is the time of year where little girls get dressed in frilly, colored dresses. We buy boys miniature grey suits and baby blue bow-ties and we call this "our Sunday best." We fill up baskets with "grass" the color of the rainbow and send our children off too look for eggs supposedly hidden by a gigantic rabbit that we took pictures with at the mall last week.

At the core it has remained a family holiday, even if we throw out the death and resurrection, lent which precedes both, and even before that, Passover. And it seems, like Christmas, we've forgotten the true meaning. Yet, recently I feel like I'm more able to relate to the fuzzy bunny holiday than the celebration of my salvation.

It's easy to feel far from God.

Anyone that lives in this busy world knows the struggle of trying to make-ends-meet and still follow God whole heartedly. There's that ever present tension, where we're striving to stop to say our morning prayers, yet still win the race of making it to work on time.

This goes out to all the 20-somethings struggling to figure out what it means to live in "the real world," every-one who works the glorious human services schedules, and all those who struggle to hear God's voice.

I took my job, praying Lord use me. Knowing that even if I missed church, there is something to be said of "caring for the least of these," and "walking alongside orphans." So I prayed "Lord use me. Teach me to pray in the moment, not just when I carve it out in my schedule. Teach me to feel your presence, even when time slips through my fingers to bask in it. Be my guide." I'm still praying.

It's hard working a One-Sunday-off-a-month schedule. It's hard to know where you sit with God when you don't have a preacher reminding you every week. It's hard to pray and remind yourself where you sit with God when most days you're surrounded by situations that challenge his existence.

However, through these time of loneliness, struggle, and testing our faith is made stronger. In times when I am discouraged I've been learning to cling to this verse:

"neither heights nor depths, nor anything that is in all creation will separate us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:39.

And as Linus to Charlie Brown: That is the real meaning of Easter.

When my life feels like a circus of juggling a job against my spiritual life. When I'm really not sure where I stand in this great scheme of life. When Easter has become simply a rabbits feet and candy. That's when I remember that I am loved.

Despite the challenges. Despite the struggle, I am loved more than I can ever imagine. And when I remember how much I am loved in the midst of chaos, that is when my faith is made stronger, because God reaches down to remind me he is still there.

Happy Easter Season. It's coming just next week. Remember, no matter your situation. No matter how you feel, you are loved. And that is the true meaning of Easter.

Bart Simpson Cookies

I'll be the first to admit that I hate the Simpsons. Seriously I just can't get into it. Maybe it was my sheltered up-bringing, never watching it as a child (I don't think that's a bad thing), but it just isn't my thing. However, I would have had to be living under a rock to not know that Bart Simpson is the poster boy for Butterfingers. So on a day when my kids at work and I were bored, and decided to make kitchen-sink cookies (Take what you have and make cookies out of them), I found the Butterfinger cups hiding out in a drawer, so we mashed 'em up, threw them in our cookies, and what do you know? The cookies ended up with a swirl that just so happened to remind me of the Simpsons. Plus they were so tastey, the kiddos gobbled all 20 of them up in one day (not a healthy choice, but they are teenagers). 

Bart Simpson Cookies

ingredients 

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (next time I think I will use coconut oil as it gives it a nice flavor and texture. Plus it's healthier)
• 3/4 cup (50g) sugar
• 3/4 cup (185g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 large banana (this is used to substitute an egg. We had no eggs at work, so we used what we had. Added great flavor and texture. Plus, again, healthier.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) all purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup (40g) quick oats
• crushed up Butterfinger cups

Method

--Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

--Combine oil, sugar, peanut butter, banana, and vanilla. Add baking soda. 

--Add flour and oats. Stir vigorously until all combined and wet. 

--Add Butterfingers. 

--Finally use a cookie scoop or your fingers to roll dough into balls. Place on cookie sheet, leaving enough space to spread a little. Bake for 8-10 Minutes. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Then place on cooling rack for another 5 minutes. Enjoy (hopefully not all in one day) :)

Within Limits

I have my limits. I am a woman. I'm white. I'm twenty-something. I have anxiety...just to name a few. And I struggle. I feel like I'm consistently on the struggle bus of striving to be strong enough, yet feminine enough, culturally-sensitive-and-non-offensive-enough, competent enough, and all the while striving to ensure that it doesn't seem like my struggles confine me. Praying that maybe someday it would seem that i am limitless and have transcended the struggle. The struggle is real.

I found this TED Talk yesterday, and decided I needed to share my thoughts on it. I know, shocker, because I never blog anymore. However, I new i needed to reflect on this, and decided maybe my thoughts might encourage someone else in knowing I'm their seat-buddy on the struggle bus. I wasn't sure what exactly my thoughts on it were at first. However, after a day of reflecting, embracing, letting-go, grasping, and repeatedly struggling with my limitations I came to my end. I am challenged to change.

I feel like this is the reflective challenge I make in every single one of my posts. Maybe that's why I've stopped writing for so long. However, though I feel challenged to change. Not new. Futhermore, I'm feeling challenged to change my perspective. Also, not new. However, maybe where I've gone wrong before is in what I perceive to be the goal. I feel like in my daily walk of perfectionistic tendencies, I'm always striving to be better. Be more. Develop. Grow. I don't want to stay the same, making the same mistakes. So I push my self to eat a little healthier, move a little more, fine-tune my resume. And I get caught in the balance of thriving and failing where I strive. If it's not in the physical sense, it's in the mental sense where I find myself striving to change my perspective. Take every thought captive. See the joy. Be thankful. And as my flaws get in the way I stumble and find myself back on the struggle bus.

This is where I found myself as I watched this video. The thought slowly began to creep in my head: what if I'm ok? What if my limits (these things that feel like prison walls I'm consistently trying to escape) are actually my road to freedom?

I pause.
Reflect.

In the words of Elizabeth Gilbert: "Ruin is the road to restoration."

I breathe.
Sigh.
I'm OK.

My circumstances do not define me nearly as much as what I do with them. Like an artist viewing a canvas as an end, so I have been making my limits a handicap. Yet an artist is not bound by a border, instead he lets his creativity flow with what he has. He does not look at the tools he has been given and sigh in frustration. Instead he looks in wonder at the possibilities and gets to work at extracting beauty from the ashes. So I refrain. Looking at the seemingly ashes of my own life, I lay down my confines and embrace the possibilities.

I am a woman. I am often emotional. I cry often. I struggle between the balance of trying to be strong, yet being feminine. I struggle, because I walk along side little girls who have had the unfathomable thrust upon them, because they are little girls.

I am white and though I am the majority at large, on many personal occasions I am the minority. Being from the country, having limited Spanish. I AM country. I know absolutely nothing about being a inner-city black kid from East St. Paul. And when I hang out with my Latino friends I have absolutely NO idea what is going on.

I am a twenty-something with anxiety. I, again, get emotional. I struggle to appear competent, yet not appear to think I know everything. Afraid I said to much or said to little. Full of life decisions. I'm told to relax and enjoy the moment, but the real world is a big place with insurance, taxes, and bills. Overwhelmed? Yes.

I know my limits, and at time they seem overwhelming. An most of the time I am working to overcome. I want to transcend, but maybe the secret to freedom is not in escaping, but embracing. As I let go of my expectations for what I should be, and begin to hold loosely the limits given to me, I find them grow and expand until I see them more clearly. Holding in both hands and owning what I have been given, I see that my tools cannot change, but with them I can create.

 I can create beauty and a home. I can share my opinions and thoughts, and though it may not always be with my voice and words, I can hold my head up high and I can live. A life that is not defeated by the storms, but instead is made stronger. I can be a shelter to others, a rock for others as the Lord is my rock. And I can love despite the struggle, in the midst of adversity, it the midst of darkness I can show love to the least of these. I may not always understand, and may not speak into a situation, but hugs are not given with words. The present of presence is sometimes the greatest gift of all. So I will be present with everything I have.

Limits do not define us. What defines us is what we make of them, so I plan to make the most of them.