STOP! Don't buy that. Yet.

There are a zillion people out there trying to sell us stuff. This will make you skinny, this will make your hair gorgeous, this will make you stop aging, this will remove wrinkles, etc, on and on. Well, I recently learned a lesson. Had been watching ads on tv , QVC and on my computer for a hair care line, WEN. I watched for many months before I bit., What a deal, you could get $139.95 worth of product for $39.95. So I ordered it. And soon had a huge box of stuff. I use shampoo and conditioner, but not all the other bottles, tubes and sprays in the box. And yep, first time I used it, my hair was soft, shiny and pretty. Kept on using it but in a few weeks, the drain was clogged with hair and my brush was full of hair every day. And then one morning o GMAu(ABC) there was a warning from medical experts saying this product was under fire, and being sued by many woman for hair loss. So I quit using it. Was going to flush it, but didn't want to get it in our ground water so ended up sending the containers to the dump. If this had been the end, that would have been good. But one day I got a huge box of products again and a bill for $139.99 to be taken off my credit card. Called the card folk and told them I had not authorized this bill and did not want to pay it. Called Wen and protested, asking to be removed from list and telling them I did not like the stuff. They said it was taken care of. But nope, not so, a month later yet another box of product was shipped and I was billed. Went through procedure again but this time demanded a letter stating I was no longer on their mailing list. Got it by e mail later the same day. Here's the deal. Never buy anything unless you go online, look for ingredients, results and mostly customer reviews, read as many of those as you can. They are so valuable. I learned my lesson the hard way, every one wants to sell you stuff, but its not all good stuff and it's up to us to protect ourselves from scammers, and even legit companies if there are things in those products that cause us grief. I recently bought pillows and spent weeks looking for the right one for me, and in the end got a good deal, but read a lot before I made the final decision. Did you ever watch a drug ad? Ask your doctor if you need "---". There are studies out now saying Prolia, given to post menopausal women with osteoporosis is not effective, and in fact does more harm than good. As do Nexium, Prilosec and those heart burn reflux meds. They damage your kidneys if you use more than just once in a while. Love watching the ads, and the side effects ending with "and death" at the end. So my point is, do some research, as much as you can, and find out if you really want something before you spend good money on it. Sadly, you can not rely on what anyone says these days, honestly is just not the policy.

Summer Time

I like summer, not fond of the cold winters. But the last week has been very warm, and the humidity is high. So getting out early to water and do yard chores is essential. The garden takes a lot of water, but is looking good., My cucumbers are blooming,have been picking some luscious blueberries, almost as big as grapes. And my son brings me enough lettuce for a weeks worth of salad, along with fresh green onions every week. I have some lettuce almost ready, due to rabbits, its growing in a deck railing planter . I also have pots on the deck with extra tomatoes, like yellow pear and roma's, so have a lot to keep track of. My family spent a lot of years in Texas, we never saw rain like they are having now. North Texas has snow storms as bad as the midwest, and dust storms that blew in red dust from Oklahoma. Many times we covered the windows with wet towels to keep it breathable for the babies when they were small. Today I am going to pass along some more ideas for your "green" home. Go to the store, and in the laundry area but a BIG box of baking soda, I get a four pound one. And at least a gallon of vinegar(white). With these, maybe a box of borax, some tea tree oil and a few essentials oils, you can do all your cleaning and yard chores in a non toxic way. Start with the toilet bowl, put 1/2 cup of baking soda in a flushed bowl, and add 1/2 cup of vinegar, let sit a few minutes til the bubbling stops, swab and flush. My bathroom cleaner is equal parts of water and white vinegar, a few drops of tea tree oil, and if you want a scent, add lavender, lemon or other essential oil. If you had not known, vinegar kills 99.98% of germs, as effective as caustic clorox, lysol etc and no fumes to inhale. Scouring powder came under fire this week, it contains formaldehyde among other deadly ingredients. Make your own with half salt and half baking soda, one of those old Parmesan cans works well as a sprinkler. Again, add essential oil if you want lemon or lavender etc scent. You can make soft scrub by using baking soda and mixing it with enough Dawn to make a cream. Moving outside, weed killer is as simple as putting 1/2 cup of salt in a spray bottle, fill with vinegar, add a squirt of dawn, and spray on a dry hot day. I also found out this week to watch out what brand of tea bags or tea you buy. Most of them use weed, and insect spray o n the leaves, and the first place it washes off is in your teacup. I buy great organic tea from Swansons. If you have not, go to their website and pull up organic foods, it's amzzing how much they have. And delivered right to your door. Getting ready to brew some peppermint tea, have a great week, see you next time.

Recipes and more recipes, repellants, cleaners and more

Spring left this week, the hotter more humid days have come. Not a bad thing, I enjoy warmer weather, not 100 degrees maybe but winter is not my favorite season. We are being warned that Zika mosquitoes are in our area, to take precautions when working outside. Seems skeeters hate lemon in any form. We have lemon balm growing in the yard, and I have lemon verbena in the house. Tucking springs in your shoes, pockets, hat brims and even creating a lei of the leaves to go around your neck is great protection. If you don't have any of these, you might try cutting a lemon and rubbing it on your skin before heading out. Picked up a tip for lip balm this week, if you make it yourself and want color, try powdered dried raspberries. We all are becoming aware that toothpaste and mouthwash have things in them that are not good for us. I am buying toothpaste for sensitive teeth from Swanson now, but mouthwash is simple to make. 2 cups of water, 5 drops of clove oil, 5 drops of cinnamon oil, 5 drops of peppermint oil, and 5 drops of lemon or tea tree oil, keep in a bottle , shake before use.. From Grit magazine, a recipe for fly repellent, lavender, basil or mint all work, tie in bundles and hang in areas that are prone to flies, inside or out. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer migraines, try 1 cup of water, one lemon, juiced, and 2 teaspoons of Himalayan pink salt mixed, stir, drink, ahh, relief. Got corn on the cob? Have you tried this? Cut off the stem end, wrap in two layers of wet paper towels(leave husk on) and lay around the edge of your microwave plate. Nuke 1 and 1/2 minutes, turn over, nuke 1 and 1/2 more minutes, let sit 5 minutes and just slide the husk, silk and all right off. Easy. I found a good recipe for tub and tile cleaner on one of my favorite sites, DIY natural. In a spray bottle, put 1 cup white vinegar, and 4 T dish soap, swish, then add 10 drops tea tree oil, 10 drops eucalyptus oil. A dark bottle is best for this . Shake well before spraying on tub, tile etc, let sit 10 minutes and wipe off with clean towel. And last, I love this for freshening up carpet, it won't clean much but sure makes it smell nice. !/2 cup of cornstarch, 2 cups baking soda, 1 T ground cloves, and 4 leaves of crumpled Bay. Mix in a shaker can and sprinkle liberally over carpet, let set one hour, then vacuum as usual. I have old Parmesan containers that work really well for this kind of mix. In fact since I learned that Parmesan is laced with wood shavings to stretch it, I have quit eating it. Buy a chunk and grate it yourself so you know what you are eating, I can almost taste the wood now that I know about it, dumped out my last round. Been out early this am watering, cleaning the bird bath and enjoying the cool morning before the heat starts. Hope you are having great weather where you are, so much bad stuff right now, tornadoes, floods etc. Have a great Memorial day week end, see ya soon.

Help your diet help you

Your diet always needs your help to keep you well. The more studies that are being done, the more processed foods and junk foods, and fast foods are coming under fire. You need to eat rainbows. The brighter the color the better. Watermelon, blueberries, kiwis, greens, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes instead of white ones, and most whites are grown with a ton of spray, so not healthy. It's finally becoming evident that all the sprays are making us the nation of cancer, arthritis, allergies and Alzheimer's among other ills that plague us. But it will be a long time before major changes are made as the GMO crops are making big bucks for so many, even funding Hillary's campaign. She is promoting them on that account instead of being aware of health needs of our country. This political campaign has been the nastiest I can remember, and neither candidate seems to me to be honest, or caring or reliable. What happened to presidents like Lincoln, Washington etc. Those who knew our country was founded on religious beliefs and needed to follow them. Politics aside, they just make me crazy these days. On the rainbow, be sure to add whole grains that are organic, like quinoa, millet, wild rice. And oh, this morning on Facebook I see China is making plastic rice, yuck. Don't buy that. Did you know that 6 million kids die of diseases that could be treated for the cost of a cup of coffee every year? How sad. Using steroids or antibiotics for respiratory infections? Here is a better way, call 800-991-7088 and order Respiratory Relief, or go to mynaturesrite.com to order, this stuff kills bacterial inflections without harm to the patient. You can control allergies by following a healthy diet and healing your gut, taking away inflammation. Requires a lot of work, but better than meds. If you are taking stuff for reflux, heartburn etc, be aware of the side effects. They weaken your gut, and will cause kidney demise. Because they take out your first line of defense by making your gut weaker and weaker until all your good bacteria get out of balance. Adjust your diet, eat smaller amounts at night and quit eating 5 hours before bedtime to help. Found a new smoothie recipe I really like, 1 cup of plain organic yogurt, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen ones, 1 small carrot chunked up, 2 T oatmeal, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon of honey. I did find it a bit thick and had to add a tad of soy milk to make the blender work. But its goooood. Spent yesterday in and out of the house, working on flower beds and garden, need to go back out before the day is over and sweep the debris off the porches, had a guy come clean the gutters this week. Now maybe the dirt won't wash out of the beds all the time. And wonder of wonders, no snakes, toads, frogs or salamander were under all the rocks and leaves I cleaned up. Yea. It's been cool, I like it, no need for heat or fans, just start out with long sleeves and slippers and socks, and shed them as the day warms up. They say we are due a really hot summer so I am enjoying this long spring time. One last spring cleaning recipe, if you have mold on the north side of your house or other buildings, mix 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a spray bottle, spray liberally on mold, do not wash off, first rain will clean it all up for you. And it keeps it from coming back for a long while. Have a great last week of May, sure went fast. Stay well.

Blackberry Winter, and more recipes

Well, the weather has presented its own roller coaster lately, its been chilly enough the last few mornings to go hunting for long sleeves, sox and slippers again, but today should be the last cold for a while, back in the 80's by tomorrow. Yesterday we got a brief hail storm tossed in just to make it interesting, stuff bigger than a pea but smaller than a marble, made noise mostly. Had a good bit of rain along with it. It is doing the gardens good, things are growing nicely. Rain is ever so much better than watering. Our well water is hard, lots of minerals, and better than no water but the rain is welcomed. Saw a report on the news this week saying that the third leading cause of death in this country is mistakes made by doctors. That is totally scary, you feel like you have to trust them if you are going to them and yet they are prescribing wrongly and operating the same way and the stats on the number of deaths is really off the wall. I prefer taking care of my health and using my own home made remedies for things. When my sis had shingles, a salve made with hot peppers was given her, why would you want an irritant when you are already hurting? Makes little sense. She had good luck with my pine needle salve which is very soothing. About time to brew up a new batch. For a long time I have been making cough syrup from fresh ginger, horseradish, herbs and onions and garlic. It takes 8 weeks to brew, so not something available if needed in a hurry. Here is a recipe for some you can make and use right away: 1 cup of fresh pineapple juice, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1 piece of ginger, about 1/2 inch, grated, 1 tablespoon of organic or raw honey and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder. Mix all together and use as needed, up to 1/4 cup at a time, 3 or 4 times a day. This does seem to work too, if you have Hemorrhoids and can not get to a store, soak a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar, place and leave on overnight. This is for external ones, if you have internal ones, in a small flat container freeze the vinegar and cut into slivers you can insert into the anus. Might need a drip catcher to save your undies. Also drinking a Tablespoon of vinegar in hot water every day may help prevent and cure the problem. This one I can't check as I am allergic to coconut, but mixing turmeric powder and coconut oil into a past and applying with a cotton swab is supposed to whiten your teeth. If anyone tries this let me know results please. Did you know you can easily make your own powdered sugar? Just put a cup of organic sugar and 1 teaspoon of corn starch in your food processor and whirl until powdered. I am not using corn starch as its too processed, almost all corn is GMO these days, I have gone to arrowroot instead. My peonies are blooming, the snowballs rapidly fell apart, rain really took those out. Hope all the mom's out there have a wonderful mother's day, I am blessed to have 4 remarkable kids, making every day Mother;s Day. Love them all, makes me realize how lucky I am. God had a most important hand in that venture, no complaints at all. Have a great week, stay well.

Spring Cleaning with Natural Products

Sitting here this morning early, with coffee in hand, watching the sun rise behind the mountain. Well sort of, its cloudy this morning but there is still a glow as the sun creeps into the sky. Behind me is a steep incline to the top of Piney Mountain, my son's work shop sits about half way up. In the winter I can see the top of the mountain through the bare trees, but now they are all green again so only looking at the tops of the trees can I see the top. It takes the sun a long time to come over the mountain, if I go to town early, it's already up as I get away down the hill. God has put me in a truly breathtaking place to spend the last of my life. I have been lucky to see a lot of places, some great, others not so much. Today I got a newsletter from Mountain Rose Herbs with some great cleaning recipes. If you are still buying harsh chemical products, I urge you to consider going green and natural. These ingredients clean as a well as clorox, and other caustic products, and are so much safer for you, your kids, pets and the environment. Lets start with a general surface cleaner for kitchen counters, cabinets, glass, blinds, tubs, fan blades etc. In most grocery stores you can purchase spray bottles for just over a buck, I found mine at Walmart. You can also clean and reuse old glass cleaner spray bottles, just be sure all the old stuff is removed. okay, Surface Cleaner: 16 ounce spray bottle 8 ounces white vinegar 6 ounces water 2 ounces vodka or rubbing alcohol 10 drops essential lavender oil 5 drops essential rosemary oil 5 drops essential lemon oil. Combine all in spray bottle shake before use On to soft scrub, for your sinks, tubs, toilets etc glass jar 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup liquid castile soap, 15 drops of essential oil, like rosemary, tea tree or your choice. Mix well, apply to paper towel or cloth and scrub away, rinse well. Have you used Febreze? I was told by a vet many years ago it may be toxic for pets, had a kitty get sick and she thought that was the cause. Well, here is a home made version that won;t harm a thing: 16 ounce spray bottle, 3 ounces vodka or rubbing alcohol, 15 drops lavender essential oil. 12 ounces rose hydrosol. Put in your bottle, shake and spray curtains, rugs, furniture, pet beds, cars upholstery etc. I ran across an article in my new Mother Earth on blood sugar, if you are working with that problem, did you know that dandelions are most helpful? They contain alpha-glucosidaze, which is natures blood sugar reducer. You should check with your doc of course, but a tea made with flowers and leaves can reduce the amount of medication needed. It's finally spring, almost summer, we seem to jump from that lovely cool period right into very warm weather. My garden is mostly up, have beets, St. Francis beans, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce and herbs doing well, also potatoes and my berries are looking good, both strawberries and blueberries are getting ripe. Love this time of renewal, when the earth once again becomes green and lush. Hope you are taking time to enjoy and not just stress out from yard wor, all too soon winter will make its return. Enjoy the weather, and your life, and give thanks for all your blessings. Til next time, be healthy. Final note, all ingredients need for cleaning recipes can be found at Mountain Rose Herbs, and most of them also at Swanson Vitamins, or Amazon.

Castile Soap and Chamomile

Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and cheapest. If you are trying for a healthy home, these two items are your friends. I have a large bottle of Castile soap, purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, in my cupboard. I use it in foaming face wash, shampoo, and other home made personal items. Its simple to use,To make an all purpose cleaner, combine 1 gallon of hot water with 1/2 cup liquid Castile soap and 10 drops essential thyme oil. Spray on cupboards, sink, tubs,any surface you need to clean., If you have pets, make a shampoo that repels fleas with Castile and peppermint essential oil, bugs hate peppermint. Just keep it out of eyes and nose. Add a few squirts of Castile to 2 cups hot water to clean up greasy stove tops. Using Castile instead of normal disinfectants can help ease allergies, it will take a few weeks to see improvement as you need the toxic stuff you have been using to get cleaned out. Living in a clean , green house is so good for your health. Chamomile has long been used as a relaxing tea, to aid in sleep. But its good for ulcers too, and tummy troubles, very soothing. Steep a cup of chamomile blossoms in 2 cups boiling water, strain, cool and use as a hair conditioner, do not rinse out. It will leave your hair soft and slightly lighter. If you have puffy eyes, steep some flowers and make small compresses to put under your eyes, while relaxing a short time.Its also good for itches, scrapes and burns, can use tea or make salves and lotions, recipes easy to find on line. Amazing how going back to old remedies can improve our lives. I watched a spot on ABC news a while back saying lots of folk are getting tired of the side effects, cost and inconvenience of prescription meds, so they are looking for holistic, and alternative doctors who can use both, and keep your side effects at bay. Seems our grandparents knew a lot more than we gave them credit for. Back on the prairie, docs were few and far between and pioneers needed a good basic knowledge of herbal care. Even the Native Americans had a good handle on growing and using herbs, tree roots and bark etc. It kind of seems the farther we progress, the less healthy we are. It's trying to be spring, the dogwoods are lovely, the red buds are about gone, but my snowballs, tulips etc are so pretty. We have been in an area this week with 3 forest fires burning very close to us. We ate our share of smoke for a day or two, but the fire is burning away from us and up another mountain now. It's splitting so they are still using helicopters to drop water, last report said we had an extra 130 firefighters brought in to fight this giant blaze, We could use a good soaking rain to help get all these fires out. Hope you are having a lovely spring, enjoying some warmer days and the flowers that are now appearing. I am waiting for my little hummingbirds to return, love watching them. Take care.