Insect-Repelling Incense

Summertime, campfires, camping, outdoor meals in New York do not come without Insects!

These handmade incense add a nice ambiance and natural way to repel insects this time of year...
What You'll Need:

• Blank Incense, available from Lavender Lane Forever
• Essential Oils: (Geranium, Patchouli, Peppermint, Purification essential oil blend (from Young Living)

How To:

1. Choose one or two Essential Oils to use on your blank incense.
2. Carefully saturate each blank incense with 15 Total drops of Essential Oils
3. Important: let sit, dry for 24 hours.
4. Light and set into tall, glass vases to burn or incense burner holders.

Safety: Keep out of reach of children; Do Not Leave burning incense unattended.Idea: These are so nice to bundle up with a ribbon and give as a gift.


photo source: flickr.com By Mobentec

Happy Feet

The human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and tendons.

They get squished into shoes that don't fit, they don't get massaged enough and sometimes we let them get unusually stinky.

And every single day, our feet take us everywhere we need to go. For that reason alone, we need to give back to our feet... simple ways to make sure we have Happy Feet.

Weekly Foot Soak: While you're watching TV, reading a book or magazine, paying bills... Soak your feet in a tub of warm water and 2 cups Epsom salts for 10 - 15 minutes. Epsom salts sooth and relax muscle tissue. If you like, add 3 total drops of your favorite Essential Oil.

Weekly Foot Scrub: Blend 1 cup carrier oil (jojoba, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil) with 1/2 cup sea salt or mineral salts and massage well into feet. Rinse well. Pat dry.

Schedule an appointment for Reflexology or a Foot Massage: If you're feeling out of kilter
Don't know why or what about
Let your feet reveal the answer
Find the sore spot work it out
By Eunice D Ingham
Foot Massage Lotion Recipe: In a 1-ounce glass container filled with all-natural, unscented lotion (I love and use Unscented Aromalotion from Elizabeth Van Buren, available by the gallon), add 4 total drops of Peppermint Essential Oil *Peppermint Essential Oil is cooling, analgesic (pain relieving), anti-inflammatory and helps clear stinky feet odors* Shake well before using. Avoid direct eye contact.

Toe Fungus: Lemongrass and Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) Essential Oils have both shown to have anti-fungal properties. By placing 1 total drop of each of these Essential Oils on the cotton pad of a band aid and placing over the nail bed daily may help inhibit toe nail fungus. If irritation occurs, dilute with pure Vitamin E oil.

Treat yourself to a Pedicure.
You have the option to opt out for the nail polish. Men, too!
photo source: flickr emerson12

Personalized Perfume

Many years ago, I was shocked when I learned the actual chemicals contained in the expensive perfumes I was wearing on my skin, ultimately inhaling and offending others with. But, wearing perfume doesn't have to be a health hazard.

Wearing a personalized perfume made with Essential Oils (substances obtained by steam distilling plant material) makes you smell good and feel good, naturally.

Smelling an essential oil has an immediate impact on our memories and our emotions so when personalizing your "perfume", choose only Essential Oils that you love.

What you will need:

• jojoba, sweet almond oil, castor oil or grape seed oil
• Essential Oils
• glass jar, bottle or roll-on

How To:
For every 1 ounce (2 Tablespoons) of carrier oil used, add 5 Total Drops of Essential Oils.

Suggested Essential Oils:

• Neroli ~ relaxing, spirituality, calming
• Rose ~ grief, depression, anger, despair
• Ylang ylang ~ relaxing, euphoric, sensuality
• Geranium ~ imagination, protects, intimacy
• Cedarwood ~ supportive, grounding, confidence
• Jasmine ~ depression, fear, confidence, optimism
• Sandalwood ~ meditation, protects, calming, grounding
• Myrrh ~ calming, grounding, facilitates meditation, peace
• Bergamot ~ relaxing, calming, uplifting, insomnia, anxiety
• Frankincense ~ emotionally supporting, focus, tranquility
• Patchouli ~ nervousness, calms mind, grounding, sensuality

Suggested Use:
Shake well before using. Apply to ears, wrists, over the heart, on the belly, back of neck, etc.


Safety & Storage:
Avoid direct eye contact. Store in cool, dark place, away from heat and light.

Share:
Personalize a Natural Perfume for a friend.

Resources: 
glassware: SKS
jojoba: The Jojoba Companycarrier oils: Mountain Rose Herbs

Learn how perfumes & fragrances affect our health and environment:
EWG's Skin Deep

Pledge Not to Pledge

Americans have used Pledge® for over 50 years. A product that we have deeply trusted but a cleaning product, like all others, that isn't required by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to list its ingredients on the product label.

But, manufacturer's are required to disclose their ingredients on a document issued to the government called a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS); the main ingredients listed in Pledge® are:

• Propane: causes depression; long-term intermittent exposure can cause nose bleeds, rhinitis, oral and nasal ulcerations, conjunctivitis, fatigue and damage to the Central Nervous System
• Butane: vapors cause drowsiness, narcosis, asphyxia, cardiac arrhythmia and temporary memory loss.
• Silicones

Really?! Gases and synthetic compounds to clean, dust and shine wood?If you pledge not to use Pledge®, I will pledge to clean, dust and shine wood with a cotton cloth and a just few drops of olive oil. Actually, I already have, and it works just fine.

Save Money, Save our Trees: Take the Paper Towel Challenge

50,000+ trees PER DAY are needed to supply us with paper towels so that we can wipe up messes!

Don't you think this statistic is heartbreaking, crazy and unnecessary?

Click HERE to learn more about the impact of buying paper towels.

Join me in the Paper Towel Challenge: simply purchase a supply of bar / kitchen towels to wipe up messes from now on.

photo source: flickr.com

38 Ways to Help Our Earth & Our Health

1. Plant a tree
2. Recycle glass
3. Recycle plastic
4. Bring your own coffee cup
5. Avoid Plastic
6. Reduce consumption of meat
7. Bring your own bag
8. Start an herb harden
9. avoid Styrofoam
10. Boycott Bleach
11. Start a compost
12. Request to STOP junk mail
13. Grow some vegetables
14. Wash clothes in cold water
15. Don’t shower every day
16. Shop local farmers markets
17. Recycle aluminum cans
18. Shop local farm stands
19. Use water filters instead of buying plastic, bottled water
20. Use glass whenever possible
21. Support local bar soap makers
22. Buy food that grows in your state from your state
23. Switch off lights when leaving a room
24. Turn off the faucet when brushing teeth
25. Recycle corrugated box
26. Shop for clothes at local consignment shops
27. Limit your time in the shower; set a timer
28. Burn beeswax candles to clean air
29. Buy in Bulk (grains, beans, nuts, dried fruits)
30. Give gifts that go away, e.g., local honey, maple syrup, etc.
31. Say “No Thank You” to the lawn-spraying companies
32. Use bar towels instead of paper towels
33. Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use
34. Make natural household cleaners using white distilled vinegar and H20
35. Lower the thermostat and wear wool and socks to bed
36. If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down
37. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
38. Borrow books, music and movies from your local library

Go Local: Join a CSA Today!

WHAT IS A CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSA is where families and individuals purchase seasonal membership shares (or half shares) for one flat price and in return receive un-sprayed, organic or certified organic fruits and vegetables from local farms and gardens.

Some memberships even include real milk and butter, eggs, local honey and fresh-cut flowers - how cool is that?!

HOW IS THE FOOD DELIVERED? Goods are typically distributed from one location whether it's from the farm, a local church or health food store.

AM I REQUIRED TO WORK?
Some CSA's require members to contribute a few hours per month to help with composting, planting, weeding, harvesting and distribution.

THE BENEFITS OF JOINING A CSA:

• Reduce the number of miles that food travels to your kitchen table
• Save $$$
• Learn what it takes to make things grow
• Make new friends
• Be out in nature, touching dirt
• Taste new things
• Meet people who think the same way you do about food, nutrition, health and gardening
• Improve your health
• Cook more meals at home with fresh ingredients
• Reduce your exposure to toxic pesticides and herbicides
• Be inspired to grow your own food at home
• Children discover that cherry tomatoes are as sweet as pop tarts and carrots really come from the ground!

Here are some of the CSA's in my area.

Mud Creek Farm in Victor, NY
Peacework Farm, Genesee Valley Organic CSA in Newark, NY
Fellenz Family Farm in Phelps, NY

Sign up today!

Click HERE to find a CSA near you

Click HERE to find a Farmers Market near you