It's Really Come to This - Cutting My Own Hair

For years, I've cut the hubby's and the boys' hair.  I also trimmed my own and our daughters for awhile when we were struggling through starting a new business.  Eventually, we decided we were saving enough money for me and our daughter to have our hair cut professionally.  While we've loved having it done, when I left my job we had to cut corners everywhere we could.  That's included giving up our salon visits.

In an effort to continue indulging the girly-girl I've always been, I started looking for ways to cut my own hair.  A search turned up some very easy methods.  Though I knew it couldn't turn out the perfection created by a professional hairdresser, I decided to give it the old college try.  I was inspired when my husband kept commenting on how good my hair looked after the first time I cut it - he had no idea I'd cut it myself.  

A little more research and I've found the method I'll probably use.  So, please don't be offended, all my wonderful professional hairdresser friends.  Ya do what ya gotta do.  And, at least for a season, that's what I'm doing.  

Homemade Deodorant

I know there are a gazillion posts and recipes for making your own homemade deodorant.  In another one of my recent efforts to save money and get healthier, I've been perusing post after post.  Some recipes were too complicated for what I wanted.  Some were simpler, but required ingredients I didn't have.  Because I'm working to conserve trips to the store and our gas, I wanted one that would include items I have here at home.  Finally, I found one.  I adapted it, though, and made it uniquely mine, because, well, that's just what I like to do.

Here's my Easy-Peasy Homemade Deodorant recipe.

1/2 cup Corn Starch
1/2 cup Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade)
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
15 drops of essential oils

Using a hand mixer, thoroughly combine the corn starch and diatomaceous earth.  Add in the coconut oil to the dry ingredients and continue beating until they're a nice, smooth consistency.  Add in drops of essential oils.  Use what you like.  Take a whiff each time you add a new oil.  Experiment and have fun!  This is your personal, uniquely mixed deodorant, tailored especially for you.  <3

A note about the ingredients - I used the corn starch as a thickener and for its absorbency, because that's what I had.  I also used diatomaceous earth because it is about 89% silica, a mineral most of us are missing.  There are lots of testimonials from people whose health has benefitted from diatomaceous earth, and I know our family has had benefits from it as well.  We always have Tropical Traditions coconut oil on our shelves.  If you don't know much about coconut oil, read The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil.  It's another foodie miracle worker for us!  Finally, we're slowly but surely replacing many of our over-the-counter medicines with Young Living Essential Oils.  We've, in fact, just gone through an entire summer with very few allergy problems, a major feat for our family.  Our doctor calls us The Allergy Family.  We've all been able to give up allergy shots and daily antihistamines with the use of the Young Living Lavender Essential Oil.  There are so many other oils that we use successfully.  More on those later.

I hope you like your own homemade deodorant.  I'm glad to be able to save money and use healthier things for myself, all at the same time.

Our Quicker Than Going for Take Out Pizza Night

Pizza is really pretty easy to make - throw sauce, cheese, and whatever you want for toppings on it, bake and you're done.  It's actually even easier and quicker than jumping in the car and going to pick it up, and certainly lots cheaper than paying for delivery.  The only thing that makes it better is having  homemade crusts, pre-made, just waiting in the freezer to be used.  I make mine in the bread machine, often using the time to homeschool while I'm waiting for the dough cycle to end.  I made several crusts in one day recently and studied Shakespeare while doing it.  :)

Tonight was one of our Easy-Peasy Pizza nights.  We had 2 pizzas in the oven in about 5 minutes, and watched the first part of our Saturday night movie while waiting for the timer to go off.  Sometimes the best, most enjoyable things are the least expensive and the simplest.  We're all set for a fun Saturday night dinner and movie, without having to wait in line, miss something to visit the restroom, or shell out enough money to fill up a gas tank or put shoes on a growing boy or two.  Then, when we do go to the movie theater, it's a treat.  

Back to Homeschool

Back to school for many children means back to homeschool for mine.  We used to school year round so that we didn't lose ground over the summer.  But, when our teen boys threatened mutiny, I decided a break might be a good thing.

In late August,  our daughter and I began pulling together our plan for the school year.  She has helped me school the boys since she married 2 years ago.  She saw our now 19 1/2 year old through graduation and has been schooling our youngest, 15.  When I decided to leave work in early June, I couldn't wait to get back to schooling.  

We're non traditionalists when it comes to our school days.  I believe in approaching school like I try to approach life in general - with simplicity, gentleness, and flexibility.  We've never had rigid schedules and our children have never been graded or taken tests.  Our philosophy has been more about delight-driven learning, led after the basics of the 3 Rs into whatever our delight-driven activity and subject children wish to study at the time.  It's worked well for us, and I'm raising kids who love to learn.  That was my goal all along.  

Yogurt on Steroids - Kefir

Well, it's not really yogurt, and no steroids are involved.  It's just a super-duper probiotic-filled, fermented milk full of nutritional goodness.  It's easy to make, inexpensive, versatile, and so good for you.

We started drinking kefir several years ago when I was on a quest for simple ways to improve our family's nutrition.  Since it's tart, we use it in smoothies, combining it with fruit, or with a protein powder, frozen banana and ice to make something like an ice cream treat.

A daily serving of kefir actually helps to recolonize the intestinal tract with good bacteria - - in a way, it's like repopulating the body with healthy microorganisms so necessary for balance and good health.

We make our kefir by using live grains.  The grains look something like a portion of cauliflower that is all gelatinous and squishy.  Drop some grains into a quart jar of milk and leave the on the counter to culture for the next 24 hours.  The grains I'm using now are small - I only drop about 1/4 tsp into the milk, and I have beautiful kefir in 24 hours.  As your grains grow, you can take them apart (just pinch and pull) and freeze individual portions so that you have spares for later.  The little boogers go into something like suspended animation - they come to life again when you start actively using them to culture your milk into this health-enhancing elixir.

I had a lot of excess kefir grains at one time in the freezer.  I didn't find out until too late that our boys had packed them all together and were attempting to create a football out of them.  Knowing they had tested passes and kicks in our yard was just too much for me and I threw the grains out and started over.

You can order live kefir grains from Amazon, or from Dom's kefir site.  If you want lots of information about kefir, look up Dom's site.

Cilantro – The Wonder Herb

If you love Mexican food like our family does, you’ve probably been exposed to this green bit of goodness.  If not, you need to try it.  Organic is often just over a dollar for a bunch, while non-organic costs less.  Because money is a consideration right now, we buy the non-organic and clean with sprays of colloidal silver and white vinegar.  To store it in the fridge, fill up a glass jar with water – I use part water, part colloidal silver, and cover the bunch with a plastic bag.  It keeps well and looks fresh until it’s gone from our house.  We use it in burritos, salads, baked potatoes, soups, and even on hamburgers, replacing the lettuce or other greens. 

Its benefits include not only helping clean and rid the body of toxic heavy metals (called chelation), it also has been described as having the following benefits: 

1.     Full of antioxidants

2.     Calming

3.     Helps with sleep

4.     Lowers blood sugar

5.     Natural fungal cleanser

6.     Source of vitamins A, B, beta-carotene, C, and K.  It is also a source of potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.

Such a cheap, flavorful way of improving your health! 

Tortillas-With-a-Health-Bonus Recipe

2 c flour, 1 tsp Real Salt, 4 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil, and 3/4 c kefir. Mix ingredients by hand. Let dough rest for 20 minutes. Divide into 8 balls. Use a rolling pin to shape them into thin circular shapes. Cook in a nonstick pan on medium high heat (375 degrees), turning each tortilla as it browns and bubbles.

Go Away, Reflux!

There’s nothing worse at night than reflux.  I’ve had it for the past several years, beginning when I started working outside the home again.  Whether it’s the result of poor diet, aging, or stress, I don’t want it.  Like a lot of folks, I’ve been taking medicine to prevent it.  However, I’ve been concerned about the side effects. 

When Mom got into Young Living oils, I followed her.  My mom has a history of really good ideas and I like to learn from what she’s doing.  I had researched essential oils years ago when our daughter was just a baby.  Though I hadn’t pursued using them then, I’m all into them now. 

Research into something that would help my reflux led me to using Lemon and Peppermint oil, a drop each in my water each morning.  I noticed right away that the reflux problems decreased.  A side bonus was that my appetite was decreased and I started losing weight. 

The weight loss was encouraging, so I decided to change things up a bit and try Slique Essence, a blend of oils designed to help with weight loss.  Adding it by putting a couple of drops in my water, while also using the Peppermint and Lemon oils improved my results even more. 

Added, ongoing stress recently caused me to once again have some issues with reflux at night.  I modified my diet so that I was eating less fatty foods.  I also switched olive oil, coconut oil and butter for most of my fats.  Then, I ordered DiGize from Young Living oils. 

I mix a drop or two of DiGize and Peppermint Oil in a bit of coconut oil as a carrier and spread it around my abdomen.  If I continue to have heartburn, I simply take an empty capsule and put a couple of drops of each oil and swallow with water. 

I’m happy to say that my reflux is much, much better.  I’m not having difficulty lying down at night, and I sleep like a baby.  Perhaps the best thing is that I’ve now lost 20 lbs. since June 2^nd, 2 months.  I can’t wait to see what other things I can do with my essential oils to help me feel better.  

To buy find out about how to buy Young Living Essential Oils at wholesale and/or create a business with YL for yourself, follow my link:  https://www.youngliving.org/mamashodan

Solar-Powered Clothes Dryer

I love my clothesline.  There’s little more enjoyable than taking a break to go outside with freshly laundered clothes.  Sunshine and empty lines beckon me to hang out for awhile.  I breathe deeply, taking in the clean, fresh smells.  And, I take a break.  I often go outside to calm myself if I’m worried.  Or, I energize myself by getting up and moving, sometimes stretching as I go, so that I get a little mini workout.  The activity is satisfying to me. 

I’m one of the lucky girls to have her own old-fashioned clothesline.  My husband put me a beautiful one up in our backyard several years ago.  I used to call it my solar powered clothes dryer.  My retro-self loves to call a rose a rose – my beloved clothesline – it is what it is. 

Several years ago a friend asked me if it bothered me to hang clothes.  On the contrary, it is a respite for me – a time of relaxation, quiet, and contemplation. 

Some of the benefits of hanging your clothes out to dry: 

1)   If your dryer is electric, hanging your clothes saves money. 

2)   You get up and move during your day – hey, exercise is exercise. 

3)   You get some fresh air and sunshine – we’re almost all deficient in vitamin D these days. 

4)   It’s an opportunity to visit with a friend – you can be on the phone outside while hanging clothes, and your family is unlikely to interrupt. 

5)   If you want time with a particular family member, ask them if they would mind helping you.  Chances are they won’t, and you have a good opportunity for a time to just talk. 

6)   It’s gentler on your clothes than putting them through a dryer all the time. 

7)   The sunshine deodorizes and disinfects – no chemicals required, and its free!

8)   Clothes are often dry quicker than they would be in the clothes dryer. 

9)   A return to simplicity does not have to make life harder.  The practice of hanging your clothes to dry can help you readjust your thinking and realize that simpler living does not always require more time or strenuous work. 

Watch for my upcoming post on how I make my own laundry detergent.  Saves money on detergent, time (you only have to buy ingredients every few months) buying premade from the store, is more effective, and takes less space – the ingredients for months worth of detergent require little shelf space.  More later! 

Mama Lewis' Biscuit Recipe

Here's my biscuit recipe, for those who asked. I modified one from my favorite cookbook, Set for Life, that Mom and Dad gave me when Neil and I married. I've made many, many of the recipes, and we haven't found one we don't like yet. I'll give the recipe with my modifications - I modified enough that you could say the recipe is now mine!

Melinda's Biscuits

2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp butter

1 cup kefir

Mix dry ingredients, then add liquid ingredients and mix until just blended. Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 30 seconds. Roll out dough into 1/2" thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes.