5 Week Workout Challenge

It’s almost summer! With one week of school left for my kiddos, planning summer activities is a necessity. If the summer isn’t planned, it flies by and nothing much happens. For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on our calendar and researching activities.

Cat and I thought it would be great fun to have a 5-week workout challenge. The little ones don’t really care what we do, but they love to be outside and active. In order to keep all of us happy, I filled the calendar with primarily hiking. Hiking is something that gets the body moving, the heart pumping and offers a change of scenery. It can be done by anyone, young or old

We’ll also have days for indoor exercises at home. This can be pilates, weight lifting, workout videos or another favorite workout activity. If someone has plans to join us, maybe we’ll move our exercise plans to an indoor location, like the Mall of America for speed walking.

Hopefully, by the end of our 5 weeks, we’ll be feeling healthier and happier. Plus, we’ll get the joy of exploring the great outdoors instead of being cooped up inside.

Our “week” is a little unusual. We will not be doing a Monday through Friday week. Sundays and Mondays are our days off. Tuesdays through Saturdays are workout days. Our goal is to workout 3 days Minimum weekly. Anything more is extra credit!

I found a great app called All Trails which helps find local hiking trails. It gives the length of the hike, maps, altitude, level of difficulty and more! I suggest you check it out to see what’s in your area!

Check back to see posts about our adventures! Hopefully, we’ll inspire you to make an adventure of your own this summer. Go out and enjoy nature!

Week 1
Week 1, Day 1: Workout At Home
Week 1, Day 2: Jensen Lake Trail
Week 1, Day 3: Hay Creek
Week 1, Day 4: Minnehaha Falls
Week 1, Day 5: Spring Lake Park

Week 2
Week 2, Day 1: Workout At Home
Week 2, Day 2: Old Mill Park
Week 2, Day 3: Challenge at Home
Week 2, Day 4: 2nd Plank Challenge

Week 3
Week 3, Day 1: Hastings Riverwalk
Week 3, Day 2: 1st Convention Day, Rochester
Week 3, Day 3: Covered Bridge Park
Week 3, Day 4: 4-Year-Old Adventure

Week 4
Week 4, Day 1: Morning Workout
Week 4, Day 2: Fort Snelling
Week 4, Day 3: Night Walk Date
Week 4, Day 4: Afton State Park

Week 5
Week 5, Day 1: Schaar’s Bluff
Week 5, Day 2: Kawishiwi Falls
Week 5, Day 3: Norberg Trail

Do you have a workout plan this summer? What’s your favorite type of exercise? We’d love to hear about it!

January 19, 2017June 8, 2019

Whipped Eczema Body Butter

Eczema is the body’s warning bell that something is wrong. I occasionally have eczema flare-ups. For me, it means I’ve been exposed to corn, which is something I developed an allergy to about a year ago. It shows up on my right hand almost immediately following ingestion of something corny.

An immediate flare-up is usually hot and painful. It can itch terribly, especially as time progresses. First, I tried coconut oil, my usual dry skin relief. Unfortunately, it was not enough to soothe my angry skin. Looking for something more effective but also allergy friendly and non-toxic, I found Dr. Axe’s recipe.

After making a few jars of whipped eczema body butter, I found that the amount of honey the original recipe called for was too sticky. With this next batch, I’m going to change a few things. I’m hoping that by using a tsp of honey instead of a tablespoon, it’ll be less sticky and more smooth.

Although the original recipe was sticky, it worked wonderfully. I’ve found it soothes the itch and lessens the severity of damage. A little goes a long way. I keep a jar in the fridge for the fluffy whipped texture. I also keep a container in my bedroom and a small container in my purse. At room temperature, the mixture falls flat, but it’s still effective. It works so well, I share little jars of it with friends.

Whipped Eczema Body Butter

1/2 cup raw shea butter ( I use this)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp local honey
30 drops lavender essential oil
8 drops tea tree essential oil
5 drops geranium essential oil
3 drops myrrh essential oil
3 drops frankincense essential oil

Blend with a whisk, on low, until shea butter and coconut oil until well combined. Add remaining ingredients. Whisk on medium until fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape sides of the bowl and mix lightly again. Divide into containers and refrigerate.

What do you use for eczema? Have you tried this recipe? Let us know!

December 22, 2016February 4, 2020

Traditional Medicinal Teas

I love Traditional Medicinal teas for so many reasons. They’re allergy friendly, organic, high quality, formulated by herbalists, they go through 9 levels of quality control testing and they’re delicious! I am not getting paid to say any of this, I simply love them. They contribute to the good health of my family and that is worth sharing.

Almost all of the Traditional Medicinal teas are corn free. This is rare and wonderful. Every other brand I’ve ever tried has been corn-taminated in some way. Having safe, guilt-free, pain-free beverages is such a blessing. Some days, post allergy exposure, I live on nothing but tea. Without them, I would be left with only water, which is good, but it doesn’t fill my appetite. Plus, the tea helps my body heal and recover.

I’ve read some articles about the large amount of teas on the market being heavily sprayed with pesticides. In addition to that, the tea bags themselves are also highly toxic! In response, some companies have gone organic (but not corn free) or have tried using less toxic bags (made from corn). Thankfully, Traditional Medicinals are the best quality I’ve found. They are both corn free and non-toxic.

I’ll run you through a few of my favorites and how I use them. Some teas we drink daily and some are once a week or seasonally. Some we drink for pure enjoyment and others are for specific health reasons. You don’t have to only drink them for their medicinal properties, you can simply have them for the joy of it!

Gypsy Cold Care

This is one of my favorites. I’ve listed it first because this one not only tastes good, but the health benefits are amazing. I started drinking this after my mother gave me the Seasonal Sampler box when I was sick. It really helps kick the cold out. Whenever I’m afraid one of the kids or I’m coming down with something, I brew up a cup to chase away the illness. I like it plain and sometimes with honey. I find it doesn’t need honey and I almost never use it with this tea anymore.

Breathe Easy

I’m listing this one second because I feel it’s incredibly important. With my asthma and my earlier in life penchant for coming down with pneumonia at the drop of a hat, breathing is very important. If I get a cold with a cough or I have allergy exposure that makes it difficult to breathe, this tea is a lifesaver. I’ll make a nice steamy cup, cradle it in my hands, bend over the cup and breathe in the steam. After it cools I’ll sip it slowly to try and prolong my exposure. I do enjoy honey in this one. Honey is great for breathing problems too.

Roasted Dandelion Root

This is my current favorite. I haven’t been able to find corn-free coffee. I love coffee, but if I cheat and drink some, I get incredibly sick. I actually bought this tea because it was on sale and I had been meaning to try it for its health properties. Dandelion root is amazing for detoxifying the liver. Once I tasted it plain, a light bulb went off over my head, it tasted like coffee! Since then, I have not had a single drop of coffee. I drink roasted dandelion root “coffee” every day, it’s so good. I add a little local 100% pure maple syrup and local organic grass fed heavy whipping cream. I have made it for my kids, my family and friends and they all agree with me that it’s amazing.

Throat Coat

This tea is fantastic for sore throats. I think it tastes great, especially with honey. However, my kids are not big fans. They usually complain when I make them a cup. I add extra honey so they’ll drink it. I don’t feel guilty about extra sugar, honey helps to soothe and heal sore throats. Thankfully, this one is part of the seasonal sampler, if you’d like to try a variety of their teas.

Echinacea Plus

If you don’t already know, echinacea is amazing for immune system support.

Lavender Chamomile

When I first saw this tea, I was really excited to try it. I love lavender. I had been looking for a good chamomile to help me relax before bed or when I feel stressed out. This one is soothing and perfect for both of those.

Hibiscus Green Tea

I have read great things about using hibiscus for a healthy heart and also as a vitamin C source. I needed a safe, corn free green tea and went searching for one that was allergy friendly, non-toxic, and affordable. When I stumbled across hibiscus green tea, from traditional medicinals, I was excited to give it a try. It’s a bit more tart than I expected. I use honey and cream to sweeten it. I’m going to make my next batch of Kombucha with it for a little variety.

There are many other great blends made by Traditional Medicinals. I hope that this inspires you to give them a try! Do you drink Traditional Medicinals? What is your favorite? Have you tried any of my favorites for yourself after reading this? Let me know! 🙂

June 28, 2016June 29, 2018

Homemade Bug Spray

With summer right around the corner, I decided to whip up a batch of homemade bug spray. With 4 little ones, I needed something that was 1.Safe to use on kids, 2.Safe for those of us with allergies 3.Non toxic, 4.Affordable and last but not least 5. It needs to actually work. If it could also not smell horrible, that would be a plus.

I set about my project as I do with most new tasks to tackle, research, research, research. I wanted to be sure that whatever I chose, it would meet all of my expectations above.

Safety

I have read a lot of differing information about the safety of using essential oils on children. Some say that essential oils are natural, therefore go nuts! As someone with allergies to a lot of “natural” things, I know that it is better to err on the side of caution. Since essential oils are highly concentrated forms of the original, it only makes sense to me that less is more. After reading about an alarming number of injuries and deaths from essential oils, I knew I wanted to proceed with utmost caution. I joined a few essential oil safety groups on Facebook to learn about what books, websites, and companies would aid me in my search.

I found this awesome site that lists oils that are and are not safe for children:
http://www.usingeossafely.com/essential-oils-and-children/

Allergies

As with any new product that comes into our house, oils and accessories need to be safe for our unique allergies. I wondered 1. How are they processed 2.What hidden ingredients are there 3. Has anyone else in my allergy group had any reported reactions?

Corn Allergy Statement
This recipe is unfortunately NOT corn free. Thayer’s witch hazel uses citric acid as a preservative. Princess and I do break out in mild hives if applied to the skin, so I try to spray mostly on our clothing, with a light application on exposed skin Since we live in a high mosquito area, a few small hives are preferable to having entire limbs swell up from mosquito bites. Thankfully using this has not created any breathing problems, but we will always stay on alert for safety since the severity of allergens can change at any time. I’m, hoping to learn how to make my own witch hazel in the future.

Non-Toxic

This is a no-brainer for me. If it has ingredients I can’t pronounce, it’s off the list. I believe part of why I am allergic to so many things and have been so sick in the past is due to the fact that I have been exposed to too many toxins. I want to decrease the bucket load of toxins for my family and me.

Affordable

We live in Minnesota so we get a lot of mosquitoes. I need something that I can afford to use a lot of.
Let me break down what making homemade bug spray costs for you. I’m using Young Living, and also NOW for the prices.
8oz Bottle $2.00
15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil at 9 cents a drop $1.35YL or >2 cents a drop $0.23NOW
15 Drops Cedarwood Essential Oil at 5 cents a drop $0.75YL or >1 cent a drop $0.13NOW
10 Drops Geranium Essential Oil at 17 cents a drop $1.70YL or >3 cents a drop $0.28NOW
20 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil at 10 cents a drop $2.00
Young Living does not sell vanilla essential oil because vanilla is not an essential oil. I instead used the price for the vanilla oil I got from my local health food store.
4oz Witch Hazel $3.03
4oz Distilled or Boiled(and Cooled) Water Free!

This ends up being $10.83 for the first bottle and $8.83 for each refill with Young Living.
Or $7.67 for the first bottle and $5.67 for each refill with NOW.
For a price comparison
Burt’s Bees Outdoor all Natural herbal Insect Repellent 4oz bottle $13.50= $27.00 for 8oz
Honest Co Bug Spray 4oz $11.69= $23.38 for 8oz
BabyGanics Shoo Fly Deet Free Natural Insect Repellent 2 oz $4.99= $19.96 for 8oz

So there you have it! Homemade bug spray wins the price comparison again!

Effective

I sprayed the kids at the beginning of mosquito season as they went out to jump on the trampoline at dusk. They came in with one bite on one kid. Earlier this week we had a bonfire. Cupcake and I stayed out the longest. I sprayed myself an average amount of spray. I was wearing a skirt, so my legs were pretty exposed. I did get one bite on my foot and after that, I made sure to spray my feet too. I didn’t get another bite after that. I was lying in a lounge chair and I saw several mosquitoes fly around me and close to my skin before changing their mind and flying off. Incredible! I’d definitely say that it’s effective!

I read that adding vanilla oil increases the duration of the effectiveness of oils. In bug spray, the longer it works, the better!

Comforting

What is more comforting than not being eaten alive? Seriously, I have been bug bait my whole life, mosquitos love me. I’m so happy I’ve finally found something that works!

I was worried the smell would be gross after mixing everything in the bottle. It’s actually quite pleasant. It smells better than all of the chemical ones I’ve been using my whole life.

First Homemade Bug Spray Attempt

Ultimately, I decided to give one of the oil blends from this site a try:
http://blog.oneessentialcommunity.com/diy/diy-bug-spray-works-kid-safe-options/
After assembling all of the supplies, I waited anxiously for my daughter to arrive home from school. I promised her we would make the first batch together. I had everything set up and ready to go on the table and I pretty much sat at the table waiting for her to walk through the door so we could play. Ahhh, big kid toys are just as fun and exciting.

We started by dropping oils into our bottle, stopping to smell each one as we went. Cat helped me count in case I lost my place. I had already boiled and cooled the water before she came home, so we added that in and topped it off with witch hazel. After we shook it up we both excitedly took a whiff of our new concoction and grimaced. It didn’t exactly smell awesome. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t very pleasant either. Oh well, it is supposed to repel bugs after all.

Next time, we are going to try lavender scented witch hazel instead of aloe vera. I believe this might have contributed to the weirdness.

Homemade Bug Spray

8oz Bottle
15 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
15 Drops Cedarwood Essential Oil
10 Drops Geranium Essential Oil
20 Drops Vanilla Essential Oil or 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract*
4oz Witch Hazel
4oz Distilled or Boiled(and Cooled) Water

Add Oils to bottle first. Add in water next, then top off with witch hazel. Test a small area of skin on each person before using liberally. Spray on clothes and especially ankles and wrists for adults. With small children, avoid spraying hands or near faces to avoid accidental ingestion or rubbing eyes.

*Vanilla oil is not an essential oil

Thank you for reading! What do you use for bug spray? Have you tried ours? I would love to know how it works for you!

As always, this is not medical advice. Please consult your own medical practitioner for any health-related concerns. Everything shared in this blog is based on my own personal experiences and are what we do for our family but may not necessarily work for yours. Please do your own research to find out what works best for you. An informed and educated choice is always best! 🙂