Action shot!
Oliver Loves Earthing!
My Love…
A great helper for Daddy.
Happy May! They say that, “April showers bring May flowers.” Did you get your April showers for your May flowers? I have quite a few lovelies in bloom right now and my garden is moving right along. My son, Oliver, was out and about to help last weekend. Looks like he had a blast, huh!?
It’s time to for Monthly Blog Love for April, where I take my top few favorite blog posts of the entire previous month and share the love with all of you! I think it’s important to share some of the *real* health knowledge that I learned over each month, so my Monthly Blog Love posts will be geared toward this type of sharing. I will keep each monthly post short and sweet with only my top 3-5 favorites so you have a quick, easy-to-read summary of my past month’s favorites. Ready? Let’s get started!
May = Spring = Flowers/Plants/Trees = BUGS!
Ahhhh, yes. Spring has finally arrived. Things are springing back to life before our eyes, in some ways bringing me back to life! After hibernating most of the winter, you will now be hard-pressed to keep me inside for very long. One thing that concerns me during spring and summer…bug bites and stings. Ouch.
- As for the pesky bugs (which I love for the purposes they serve in nature, but dislike for the problems they can cause for my family and me), Elizabeth over at The Nourished Life has two excellent recipes for homemade bug repellent that are non-toxic and effective. Win! I’ll be using geranium and lavender oils in my next batch (which you can get online here). What would you use??
Candy. It’s everywhere we look: TV, magazines, the checkout aisle, the gas station checkout, vending machines…and a lot of other places I’m sure that I missed. We know it’s not good for us. High fructose corn syrup means pure sugar…no, pure GMO sugar. Oh, not to mention all of the horrific dyes they use which are poisonous to us. Keeping it honest though, aren’t there days when that’s just what you need to get you through the day…a little something sweet?
Want a way to replace those nasty chemical-filled candies with healthy fat treats? Shaye as The Elliot Homestead has created an amazing treat for the entire family. My family loved the way that they came out…aren’t they pretty?
- You can get super healthy grass-fed butter here
- and I really love this cinnamon and today only (4.29.13) they have FREE shipping (coupon code 132944)!
Make Your Own Foundation
Genius. Pure genius!
Most all foundations are stocked full of nasty ingredients (even those that claim to be “all-natural” and “mineral-rich”). Bummer. Well, Robin and Thank Your Body shows us how to make our own foundation with *real* food ingredients. You need only a few simple ingredients, including arrowroot powder, which you can get at your local healthfood store or order online here. The other ingredients you likely already have on hand in your cupboard.
This has been on my to-do list for a couple of weeks now. I need to just get down to it. There really is no excuse, as this is super simple to make.
A Nasty ‘Sneaky’ Ingredient
Although I was quite disheartened to read about this ingredient, I am now wiser and that’s often what this *real* food and *real* green-living journey is all about for me; knowledge is power.
Do you drink coconut milk or almond milk (that’s not homemade)? What about using sour cream or cottage cheese? Do you still use a few convenience store-bought foods at home (like broths or canned soups)? Better grab your packages and read your labels. Whole Green Love shares all about Carrageenan: A Dangerous, Sneaky, & Commonly Used Food Additive.
There were certainly a TON of great blog posts I read over the past month, but these four simply stood out to me and I thought that it was important to pass them along to you.
Oh, and I had a few posts go up in April. Check them out below.
Scratch Mommy’s April Blog Posts
Just in case you missed them, here were the blog posts I published during the month of April…
- Quinoa Blueberry Mini Loaves (nutrient dense and delicious)
- Breadsticks- No Fuss, Healthy, & Tasty!
- It’s Time…A Giveaway! (this giveaway has ended, but there will be another one coming up when I hit 1,000 Facebook likes)
- An 8 Foot Beauty…In Beautiful Orange! (this is a post about giant orange amaranth and why YOU should grow it)
- MASSIVE E-book Bundle Sale – 30 E-books at 90% Off! (this deal, too, has passed, but there will be a quarterly e-book bundle sale from Village Green Network, so I’ll keep you posted)
- Soothing Homemade Tea, Anyone…? (a post about a lovely versatile flower that you, too, can grow)
- You Would Be ‘Blessed’ To Have This In Your Gardens! (learn all about another very versatile herbaceous plant for your gardens)
- There were a few Take Time Thursdays you can peruse, too.
Finally (kind-of unrelated, but not really)…I want to tell my husband how much I love him and how grateful I am for all of his unconditional support of my endeavors in life. I am grateful for having such a supportive, loving, husband and father to our son. It was 5 years ago today that we met, in a smoky and dirty karaoke bar, and I knew right then that we were meant to be. I love you and our wonderful lives together, baby!
Until next time…
xoxo,
Jess, aka Scratch Mommy