Rosehip Oil Moisturizer

I've been using a new mixture as my face moisturizer for the past few weeks - and I'm loving it! I use it in the morning before heading out for the day and at night again before I go to sleep.

The back story: I have a dear friend in her 40's with absolutely beautiful skin. I was staying over at her house lesson planning a few months back and she shared her secret - rosehip oil! It was a tiny little bottle of magic, about $13.00 for 30ml. I shared with another friend that I wanted to make rosehip oil and she too was interested so of course we, both wanting to know how and if we could make it on our own, turned to Tracey Tief at Anarres to ask what a great mixture would be for this kind of face moisturizer.

A little bit of research: Tracey suggested that I blend the rosehip as follows:
100ml carrier
10-15 % rose hip oil
1-2% essential oil

The reason she suggested this mixture is that rosehip oil, in high concentrations can aggravate acne. So mellowing it out a bit with some other oils is best! Once I had the above percentage I looked up rosehip oil a bit more. Anarres said that "rosehip oil is extremely high in essential fatty acids and is known to treat dry, irritated, weathered skin. It is also suitable for treating burns, scars, and stretch marks."

Sold!

Except, I didn't know what to do with the percentages she gave me (what does 10-15% look like??) What would be the best carrier oil? And what would be the best essential oil to pair with it?  She suggested geranium essential oil. It's wonderful as well (you can read the link) but it does act as a hormone balancer so it's not to be used during pregnancy. For the carrier oil, she suggested rice bran oil.

Into action: I went to Anarres Natural Health's brand new store to pick up the goods, and I was the first customer to fill the order in the new place!

Tracey filling up my 10ml of geranium essential oil, the first order in the new space!

I got the 100ml bottles, rosehip oil, geranium essential oil and rice bran oil. I also asked her to put the percentages in layman's terms for me. So here it is folks!

Recipe and instructions:
Once the three oils are at room temperature:
1. Add 40 drops of geranium essential oil to a 100ml bottle
2. Add 20ml of rosehip oil (about 1 tbsp + 1tsp)
3. Fill the rest of the bottle with rice bran oil and give it a little shake.

There it is! And the cost when you make it on your own? $7.50 for 100ml and refills are $6.00 (since you don't have to pay for the bottle again).

Over and out.

Water Kefir

Keith and I started drinking water kefir this past Spring and LOVE it.

The biggest difference I saw when using it was with my skin - it totally cleared up and got "the glow. I threw out our batch a few months ago because I thought it went bad (but it didn't, oops!) but have finally started it up again last week. I can't wait to see the difference in my skin again.

We love this stuff and Keith was so upset when I threw it out! He said "it's like you threw out our children!" Why did he say that? Because the grains are alive. Kefir is a bacteria, an awesome kind of bacteria. It's a dairy-free, fermented probiotic so it's great for your gut. We think of it as our cost-efficient way to have probiotics. We used to pay heaps of money on probiotic capsules but now we just drink this. It's also like "nature's pop" since when you leave it for a certain amount of time, you get the fizz!

It smells funny but tastes great. We kinda nickname it "baby puke" because it smells like that - gross right? But so good! Depending on how long you let it sit for (48-72 hours) the less sweet it will be. We usually do the 72 hour wait since we like ours a bit more tangy than sweet.

It's so easy to start and make yourself. The only thing you need is:

• water kefir grains (we got ours from Big Carrot)
• water
• organic cane sugar (we get ours from Moberly Natural Foods) 

The best way to learn how to do it is go to Cultures for Health (the brand of water kefir grains we got) and watch their videos. Here they are!

1. Watch this one to know how to hydrate your grains when you first buy them.

2. Then watch this one when you're ready to make your first batch!

Then repeat every 2-3 days or so.

We're sold. And I won't throw out this batch, promise.

New Toothpaste Recipe

Wow, the last post was August! Can you tell I'm a student?

We've continued to use and make all of the things we've posted over the past few months and years, still loving them! Today I tried a new toothpaste though so I thought I'd share!

We've been using this toothpaste recipe from David Suzuki since October 2012 and love it. Every time Keith and I go to the dentist they don't stop commenting about our teeth and gums - it's a constant "wow" from them. When I was there last week the Hygienist said "you have no stains on your teeth, you don't drink coffee do you?" and I said "I sure do!" and she said "through a straw?!" I laughed and in my head thought my homemade toothpaste is awesome. Keith gets comments like this all the time as well and neither of us tell them we make our own toothpaste because we think they'll say something against it once they know it's homemade and natural.

This week I ran out of vegetable glycerin and haven't had a chance to pick up my order yet so we've been using the sample toothpaste from the dentist. Blech. But today I found this other recipe and made a batch until I pick up my vegetable glycerin. 

Natural Tooth Soap and Paste Recipe

• 4 tsp baking soda
• 2.5 tsp coconut oil 
• 7 drops of peppermint essential oil

That's it! It felt a lot more smooth than the other one we use and a bit more sour for some reason? But my mouth still felt fresh and clean once I was done.

Good to have another option on hand. If we continue to like this one, we'll probably alternate recipes every time we run out.

Do you have another toothpaste recipe you like?

Another Try at Deodorant

Last month thanks to Tyler Sammy - I was rescued in terms of deodorant.

I had posted that my magical coconut oil plus baking soda combo started to cause redness and rawness under my armpit after about 8 weeks. It could be the abrasiveness of the baking soda? Or a PH reaction to the baking soda? I'm not sure. All I know is that I was bummed that my awesome find didn't last too long.

Tyler shared this awesome recipe with me that's "strong enough for a hippie." And yes, it's true. I wore it all month and didn't feel unfresh once.

Here are the ingredients to Smells Like Green Spirit by Lesley Clayton:

• 1 tablespoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

• 3/4 teaspoon shea butter

• 3/4 teaspoon vegetable glycerin

• 3 drops each peppermint, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils

Combine the grapeseed oil, shea butter, and vegetable glycerin and microwave for 5 to 10 seconds until the shea butter has melted and the mixture has a uniform consistency. Stir in the baking soda and essential oils and store it in an airtight container.

This portion above lasted me exactly one month and I really love it. The pepper mint actually makes my armpits feel fresh, and not just smell fresh. 

I think the heating part helped dissolve the baking soda and I didn't have the reaction above this time around.

For the next bit, this is what I'm using until I have to "trick" my armpits with a new mix of oils. 

DIY Dry Shampoo

I've been meaning to wash my hair less for years now. I've always washed my hair daily but have heard for years and years that we really should be washing our hair 1-3 times a week.

Yikes!

This is a scary thought when you have oily hair.

What's interesting though is when I ask people with long, beautiful,shiny hair how often they wash it, the common answer is 1-2 times a week.

For about a month now I've been training my hair to be washed every 1-2 days. I actually like how it looks on day two! Day three I'm thinking ya, I need to shampoo...

What's made this doable for me is dry shampoo. Super easy to make and super easy to use.

Mix together. Rub it in your scalp. Done.

There's a recipe here that has ingredients for both dark and light hair - if you don't rub it in properly you could look "dusty." I haven't had this problem though, I find it rubs in quite nicely and naturally.

Since I didn't have all the ingredients listed in the link above, I've just been using this mixture:

• 2 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 5-7 drops of lavender essential oil

I just mix it up in a bowl and put it in a spice shaker.

This mixture has been working perfectly fine for me and it smells great too!

Oil Pulling

A few months ago our friend Iris pointed Keith and I to an article on Oil Pulling by Morgan Potts (a Certified Holistic Health Coach). Like most things we read that lean towards being more natural/toxin-free - we thought, let's try this! We emailed her to ask a few more questions and she was so friendly and helpful. After we learned this doesn't replace brushing but supplements it, we began!

Well Keith did. Way more faithfully than I did! I started off doing it 2-3 times a week and then kept forgetting. But I think after reading Keith's reflections on it below - I'm totally going to be more consistent with it. Without further ado, the blog on Oil Pulling...written by Keith!

- Beka

Oil Pulling 

I once told my dentist that I didn't use regular toothpaste… she did not approve. I figured she wouldn't understand, unless it's fluoride or anti-bacterial, everything else is hokey in her eyes. So, on my next visit, a year later I didn't bring up the whole natural thing again, and she didn't remember. She asked me if I use regular toothpaste or sensitive toothpaste, I just said "regular", and without any bias she checked my teeth, did some cleaning and said "Everything looks great! Keep doing what you're doing." I will! All that to say my teeth were pretty good before I started oil pulling, so that will be my base starting point. I've been doing oil pulling for around 2 months now. Pretty consistently, but missed a few days here and there. 

Here's how you do it:

Take 1 tablespoon of oil, put it in your mouth, and gently swish around your mouth for 10–20 minutes. Preferably on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Spit it out in the garbage. 

That's it! The proper oil to use is either sesame oil (cold pressed, and preferably organic) or sunflower oil (organic if you can). Use sesame oil if you don't mind the taste, if you don't want any taste, use the sunflower oil. Supposedly those are the 2 best oils to use, other oils are reportedly less effective. That said, I haven't used either of those oils yet. I intend to get the sesame oil, but it just hasn't happened yet. So I've been using, what most people agreed is the next best thing, coconut oil. 

Time is key. I find anything less than 10 minutes is not satisfying at all. Be sure to keep swishing it around your mouth and between your teeth until enough saliva has been mixed in so that the oil is clear and watery. Spit it out in the garbage, rinse well and brush your teeth. 

Oil pulling helps clean, melts plague away, whitens teeth and… possibly adds 20 more years to you life… who knows. Now, supposedly, oil pulling helps pull the toxins out of your body and into the oil as well. So when you spit it out, that oil is toxic, make sure you dispose of it cleanly. I don't know how much of that is true. There hasn't been any studies done on it. But, this Ayurvedic practice has been done for thousands of years. Just because there is a lack of graphs doesn't mean it can't be true. I read a blog online who vented that oil pulling does not work, the only reason their oral health is better is because they spend more time and care cleaning their teeth hence better health as a result. Or… maybe it does work?  

Anyways, whether it works or not, the overall result is better oral health. I feel fantastic after oil pulling it. It helps with bad breath, and I love that coconut aftertaste… despite it being supposedly toxic in my mouth. I've never gotten compliments on my teeth before, and after a week of oil pulling both Rebeka and my mother in law both commented on how white my teeth looks. WHAT? 

The first time swishing was awkward. I keep thinking I was going to swallow it, or worried that my gag reflex would be in a huff. But you get use to it after a few practices. If you're squeamish, it may take a few tries.  

So, in conclusion, my teeth feel whiter, fresher and overall cleaner. It also feels less sensitive. Most importantly, it didn't dissolve my teeth away. Will post an update when I get the sesame oil. 

Verdict: Love it! Highly recommend you try it, your mouth will love you for it.

- Keith

The coconut oil we use from Costco at the moment (Image from: ohsheglows.com)

New Fave Deodarant

About a month ago my friend Lisa suggested that I try using a lime slice as my deodorant. What?! I'd never heard of that one before in all the years I spent looking for and trying natural deodorants. I'm always up for trying new things though and love testing out natural, toxic-free and cheap ways of living so you know I just had to try it! I was definitely skeptical though as I have b.o. and armpits that are very picky. Barely anything "natural" works on me. What works for others always has me smelling by mid-day.

I cut a sledge of lime and applied it to my underarms after my morning shower. At the end of the day - no smell. What?! Crazy.

I did this for 4-5 days or so, (even after I shaved one day which I thought would sting but didn't!)

Lisa has been doing this lime slice thing for a while and loves it. It works great for her and other people I've looked up love it as well. I was surprised that it actually worked for me too! If you're looking for a simple cheap deodorant, try the lime slice! Cut a wedge and keep it in the fridge in between uses. I used one wedge for 2-3 days. Just make sure you don't expose your armpits to sun! Citrus and sun do not mix. That goes for any citrus creams or other things you put on yourself as well. Don't go in the sun with them.

However, after a week or so I wasn't smelly per say, but I also didn't feel "fresh." This lead me to my discovery of my new favourite deodorant as mentioned above.

I looked up if I could add baking soda to the lime to see if that would help make me feel fresh and completely non-smelly longer. I wanted to make sure lime and baking soda could mix and wouldn't cause a chemical reaction on my skin (which shouldn't by the way! But it could be harsh for some people on their armpit skin) This lime and baking soda search led me to this incredible discovery.

Coconut oil and baking soda.

I quickly went to my kitchen, took my organic coconut oil and mixed it with equal parts baking soda.
I mixed:

• 3tbsp of coconut oil 
• 3 tbsp of baking soda.

Then put it in a glass jar with a lid.

I've been using this for a whole month now. I'm still using the original one I made a month ago so that 3 tbsp lasts a long time! It's incredible. It's so much easier to use than the salt stick and baking soda one I've been using for a few years now. And even easier than the lime wedge!

Why I love it:

• has a slight, beautiful coconut scent
• works all day, even 24 hours
• soft to apply
• easy to apply
• I don't have to keep it in the fridge, I can keep it in the bathroom mirror
• There's no multiple steps (ie. go to fridge, get lime, squeeze and apply, put back in fridge OR wet armpits, wet salt stick, pat with baking soda)
• I am completely smelly-free and have not been self conscious once this month of my smell

So I'm completely sold. This stuff is magical. The lime wedge led to an amazing discovery!

So for those of you still looking for that perfect natural deodorant that works for you, I hope either the lime wedge or coconut oil suggestions work for you.

Like I always say, everybody's different and every body's different. Don't give up. Find the natural, toxic-free thing that works for you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: July 8, 2013
After about 8 weeks of using this, I found my armpits got a bit raw. *sad face*
I'm wondering if the baking soda is too abrasive on my armpits for daily use. Or if the PH in it is reacting against my body's PH? Either way. I'm back to the search of a deodorant that works for me. C'est la vie!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: August 12, 2013
Found another recipe and tried it...so far love it! Here it is --> Another Try at Deodorant

Update on Laundry Soap

So back in October 2012 I posted this blog about the DIY laundry soap we started using. After 6 months we have just used up half of our purchase (if I'm not mistaken) which means that we can do a year's worth of laundry for $30-$35. This is doing a minimum 2 loads of laundry per week, sometimes 3. Amazing.

Also, we like it a lot! Our clothes come out just as clean as they did before, neither of us notice a difference cleaner/dirtier-wise. There's no scent at all which is great for those of you who are looking to do scent-free things in your home. 

Practical hints/tips we've discovered:

• it's a powder laundry soap but our building's washing machines are liquid-only. We simply use 3 tbsp of the mixture with 1/2 cup of water (as it suggests on the boxes), swish it around and pour it into the correct compartment in the machine (thanks for the tip Margaret!).
  
• wear a scarf or cover your mouth/nose somewhere when both mixing this detergent together and when scooping it weekly to do a load. It's powder so it definitely floats in the air when scooping and breathing it in (along with anything that's not air) is not good for the lungs.
  
• it's non-scented but recently we've been adding 5-6 drops of essential lavender oil to our two-load mix (6 tbsp of powder and 1 cup of water). It smells so great! And it's only a very slight hint of lavender that you can smell, enough to make it not non-scented, but not scented either.

That's our update, over and out!

Happy Earth Day!

We made a card for you (yes you!) for Earth Day Open it HERE Lots of love, The Ly Home

Eating Clean with Plan to Eat

Absolutely loving Plan to Eat

I was recommended this website a few months ago and was skeptical since it had a yearly fee. I don't like paying for things, ha! I didn't want to pay for something I could do myself. I tried it out for a month for free and was completely hooked. It only cost about $40 a year which equals $3.40 a month or about 83 cents a week. Totally worth it - trust me.

We've been eating so much "cleaner" since I try to get recipes that are healthy and fresh and try our best to purchase things based on the Dirty Dozen to keep things as toxin-free as possible. Because this site generates a shopping list for you based on the meals you choose, we only ever have those ingredients in our home so it's guaranteed healthy and we don't waste as much food. I know every week exactly what we're going to eat that week.

People who haven't seen me in awhile have been commenting on the weight I loss the past few months - I just started exercising this week so really, it's just been me eating fresh and clean consistently. And I find this has been a huge help with that.

If you get it, let me know! We can share recipe books! I have 187 recipes in my recipe book right now, ready and willing to share. Our user name is "Ly Home" if you want to share recipes.

Over and out.

DIY Hang Out

Back in February I met a friend of a friend named Andrea. I then realized that she was THE Andrea - the illustrator and blogger of Cereal With A Smile I used to follow a few years back. We talked about making DIY things and a few weeks later we met up for a DIY hang out.

It was fun!

She made a scrumptious chickpea lunch and together we made an all purpose spray, a cleaning scrub and toothpaste. I loved it because now yet another person in this world knows how to make 3 toxin-free things for themselves and their home.

Then her friend Malex dropped by and brought cake. Great ending!

So fun to meet bloggers in real life. And make homemade things.

Here's her entry of our hang! Malex on the left, me on the right.

I had so much fun doing this. If you'd like to come over for a DIY hang or want me to come over, just let me know! We can trade - I can teach and bring the ingredients for cleaners and you can make food or give/teach me something that you DIY that is earth-lovin' and friendly.

Face Routine

For a few months now I've been doing pretty much the same face routine - and my face loves me. I have finally found some products/ingredients that I love and love me back.

I mean I still have those times of the month where I get pimples around my mouth (I always touch my face there...) and my skin looks tired (oops, I sometimes forget to drink water and/or sleep...).

But in general I've felt so much better about my face this year. This is an update to this blog from almost two years ago now.

Thought I'd share my night and day routine with you. I linked the things I use to where I get them from in case you're interested!

Good Night!

So it's night time and I'm getting ready for bed. 

1. I rinse my face four times with just plain ol' warmish tap water.
   Four isn't a magical number, it's just what I do.
2. I pat my face slightly dry and then smooth on some basic lotion. I then take a textured cloth and wet it with hotter water and wipe the lotion off my face gently with it. I feel like this removes any dirt, oil or makeup the first rinse didn't get. And it just feels so good.
   *
3. I take my witch hazel  which I have in a spritzer bottle, spray it on another smooth cloth, and wipe my face gently. This is my toner.
   Did you see the price of this? $1.29 for 100ml. So cheap. So amazing. My face loves this stuff.
4. I put a thin layer of this night cream on.
   This stuff feels so thin, but I wake up to such a smooth and moisturized face.

* Once a month after step #2. I use this night exfoliant. It's magical and I wake up to such a smooth face! It's the smoothest and best smelling thing I put on my face.

Night night!

Good Morning!

I wake up to a nice smooth face from the night before and jump into the shower. 

1. When in the shower I gently rinse my face with water. I can feel the night cream rinsing off.
2. I go in the fridge and get my hemp oil and apply a thin layer to my face. My face LOVES this. It's my day "cream" and the best stuff I've found so far to moisturize my face.
3. I have cornstarch in a spice shaker in my bathroom and I shake a little on my hands and apply it evenly on my face. This is my "cover up" or "matte powder". Works like a charm. It takes the shine away from the oil and evens out my skin.
   And no, I don't leave the house looking powdery or white. It actually rubs in nicely.
4. I take my blush and apply two circles on my cheeks and rub it in gently.
5. I take my eyeshadow and apply a wee bit to my eyelids.
6. I curl my eyelashes everyday with an eyelash curler for about 10 seconds per eye. If I'm going out at night I usually wear some mascara.

Ready to go, see ya!

Blush

Happy to have found this blush by 100% Pure.

I was at Big Carrot the other week when I ran out of my Gabriel blush which I had used for about a year. I had wanted to try a cheek stain for awhile so when I saw this little bottle I thought I'd give it a try. I asked for the ingredient list (as always) and was so happy to find that it was even more pure than the Gabriel one I had been using. It's name is pretty accurate: 100% Pure.

Here are the ingredients:

Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Honey Beeswax, Grapeseed Oil, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Pigments of Cranberry, Pomegranate, Blackberry, Raspberry, Cabernet Grape, Plum, Strawberry, Cherry, Peach, Apricot, Blueberry, Cocoa Bean, Carrot and Tomato, Strawberry Extract, Mica

When I read this list at the store I said "I could eat this!" Which was one of my original rules a few years back when I learned our skin was our largest organ - don't put anything on your face you wouldn't put in your mouth. This rule can be hard to stick to, but it's definitely not impossible!

Though I won't eat my new blush, I have been liking it a lot. It smells good too. It's also a lip stain which is bonus. It came in handy over the holidays when I went to a few holiday parties and wanted to look "pretty" - you know, flushed cheeks and warm lips. Always special to dress up sometimes!

Shampoo

I am so glad to say that after 4 years of trying a number of different natural shampoos and even trying to make my own - I have finally found the shampoo for me.

It's Green Beaver's Gluten Free Shampoo.

I mean, I don't need my shampoo to be gluten free, so I guess that's just a bonus? But my hair finally loves me. It's clean, it's toxin-free and it looks and feels good. Just in case you didn't click on the link above, this shampoo seems to cover all the good things like:

• Certified organic
• Vegan
• Biodegradable
• Not tested on animals
•  and free of:
• parabens
• phenoxyethanol or formaldehyde releaser preservatives
• artificial fragrances or dyes
• phthalates
• SLS
• sulfates or ingredients generating carcinogenic nitroamines. 

I used Nature Clean for awhile until they changed the look and I feel tripled the price? Ok maybe doubled. But still. Now that I've used this shampoo for a good month now, my hair looks and feels better than it did with Nature Clean (which is a company I still love by the way!).

So my hair loves me. And like all the discoveries I've made over the years, it's always worth it to find the best natural product that works for you. I feel guilt-free and toxin-free and I didn't have to compromise on what's important to me.

As mentioned before, everybody's different and every body's different. How my hair reacts/feels/looks with different shampoos will be different from you. Keith was completely fine with some of the other shampoos we tried. Me? My hair would look greasy and feel heavy.

So glad I picked this up at my fave store Better Bulk - thanks Brian for the recommendation!

DIY Toothpaste

Since about mid-October we've been making our own toothpaste and love it!

It started as a school assignment - I had to do a science project with my classmate Amanda so we decided to use David Suzuki's new "Connecting With Nature Guide" and created a lesson plan for Gr. 4-6. It was fun! We had to do a demo showing how to make the toothpaste and ever since then Keith and I have been hooked.

It's so easy and cheap and it works!

Here's all you need:

Toothpaste Recipe

• 3 tbsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. table salt
• 1 tbsp. vegetable glycerin
• 10‐15 drops essential oil (e.g. peppermint, spearmint or cinnamon)

We keep ours in a mini glass Mason jar in our bathroom cabinet and it lasts the two of us about a month. 

We used Green Beaver toothpaste for a few years and it's great. No nasty chemicals or SLS. But now that we know we get make it for cheap and it actually works, that's the way we'll go for now!

Laundry Soap

I finally finished my Nature Clean liquid soap and am going to try this powder recipe for laundry soap! I learned it from the same DIY cleaning workshop led by Tracey Tief from Anarres Natural Health where I learned how to make the All Purpose Spray and Creamy Soft Scrub (a few blogs down).

 I've been meaning to make/use it but was caught up on my liquid Nature Clean since:
1. it's awesome
2. the washers in my building are liquid only.

But then I realized I could just mix this powder in some water before putting it in my machine - duh.

I'm going to try it out and will let you know how it works. The making-it part was really easy:

• 1 cup soap flakes
• 1/2 cup borax
• 1/2 washing soda

Mix together.

Done.

Had to tie a scarf around my nose though - very easy to inhale powder! Since our lungs should only ever be breathing air, I thought I'd protect them.

I used the Eco Pioneer brand of products that I bought from Big Carrot. Ended up being about $11-$12 per box. But I think this will last me a long time. You only need about 3 tbsp per load.

After a few loads I'll let you know how I like it!

It's definitely cheap. And it's simple. I like simple. And heck, I'm a student - I like cheap.

Day 30!

Today is Day 30 of my 30 Day Challenge...I did it!

Mind you, there were days where I ran out of lemons and didn't have my lemon water first thing - I think 3 days I missed out on this. There were also some days when I didn't get in my 30 minutes of exercise but there were also days when I would do 1 hour of exercise or 1.5 hours of exercise. In my brain - these days made up for it. Hehe!

The results?

1. It's totally a lifestyle now. Lemon water, smoothies for breakfast and doing some kind of activity is now part of my everyday.

2. Weight-wise: I'm exactly the same weight. I didn't drop one pound - but I lost inches. All of my clothes fit me a lot better now and I feel and look better.

3. My body feels clean, my skin looks better and I have no desire to eat chips or donuts when I see these being eaten around me. That's huge!

4. I've changed/added other things that I didn't intend to at the beginning of the challenge. For example:

• My smoothies are even more packed with nutrients than originally planned. I've added kefir, hemp oil and flax seeds to them as well. The more nutrients the better!
• I added drinking a banana, almond milk, cacao powder and hemp heart smoothie every other day. It's delicious. 
• I started dry brushing to detox even more (it can't hurt!) I don't know about getting rid of a pound of toxins (seems a little far fetched) but it feels amazing and I'm sure it's getting rid of extra toxins.
• I started eating salads for lunch. It just felt like the best thing to follow up my lemon water and smoothie mornings. I have a big leafy bowl of lettuce with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds most of the time and it's so good. I alternate between avacado dressing or balsamic vinegar dressing. So good.
• For dinners I've been trying to combine my foods better for example not eating starches with protein.
• I didn't buy a metropass this month so I've been doing a lot more cycling and walking.

So this is finally a good snowball effect. You make one lifestyle change and it can lead to so many other ones.

I'm so glad I gave myself this 30 day challenge. It did what I was hoping it would do - help me make healthy habits a lifestyle.

DIY Perfume

I stopped wearing perfume about 3-4 years ago after I learned that our skin was our largest organ. I visualized myself rubbing harmful creams and chemicals in my skin and started a won't-put-anything-on-my-skin-that-I-wouldn't-put-in-my-mouth thing. I know - that is extreme. There are things that are safe to use on your skin that you wouldn't necessarily eat - but still.

I had read not-so-nice things about perfume being hormone disrupting and contained phthalates among other things.

I tried wearing some of the solid perfumes from Lush which are a lot better, but after a few emails back and forth with them I decided it wasn't "safe" enough for me. I wanted to know exactly what "perfume" meant on their list of ingredients and they said:

"I think that if you follow such a careful selection of ingredients that you use on your skin, it might be best that you do not use it."

So I stopped using that and haven't really been wearing anything ever since.

But I missed it.

When I read Ecoholic Body I was so excited to try the DIY perfume on page 85.

So tonight was the night. I made it. It was so easy. And smells so good. And it only had 3 ingredients.

Here's the recipe in case you don't have a copy of Ecoholic Body (which I will blog about sometime soon, it's my go-to resource).

2 tablespoons of grated or beaded beeswax
3 tablespoons of jojoba oil
45 drops of essential oil of your choice

In a double boiler, melt together the jojoba and beeswax. Once melted, remove from heat and add 45 drops of the essential oil of your choice. Pour in a glass container or cute tin and let it solidfy. Once it's set, "dab and go!" (In the words of Adria!)

Thank you Iris for being there and helping me make my first batch of lavender perfume. I'm already wearing it and feel so calm. Hehe! So excited. This is definitely going to be my new scent.

I keep smelling my wrists. It smells so good.

Photo from here

Lafes Deodorant

I've been using Lafes for just over a year and a half now - and it's been the same $7.99 stick. This stuff lasts for a long time!

I can honestly say it took me years to find a natural deodorant that actually worked - for me. There were lots that my friends and family have used that worked for them, but somehow not for me.

Sidenote: I must say that I loved using Mama Goode's  deodorant. My body for the most part adjusted to it and it was my go-to for quite a bit. I just wished she lived in Toronto!

So on the long hunt for a natural deodorant that didn't leave me smelling like Pine Sol or B.O., I finally landed on Lafes. My brother convinced me it was the best stuff in the world and all his coworkers who do heavy lifting love it too. I was so excited! I tried it. And then was so disappointed - why? Surprise! It didn't work for me...I still smelled like B.O. a few hours after applying it. Sigh.

And then I discovered a little trick - and it's worked like a charm.

I use this Lafes stick and then pat dry with baking soda. Yup. This combo works amazingly for me. I'm sure there's lots of people who can just use this "salt stick" and it works for them, but for me, I find the combo of this patted with baking soda is what does it for me.

What exactly do I do?
I wet the stick under water for a wee bit. Rub it up and down about 25 times on my armpit. Take a little bit of baking powder (that I've put into a little shaker container) and pat dry.

At the end of the day [graphic warning] I can rub my armpits and take a whiff and smell nothing. Honestly, it works that well.

If you're on the hunt for a natural deodorant that actually works - try this one out. Remember that everybody is different and every body is different. Find one that works for you, it's so worth it.

Detox Inspired - My 30 Day Challenge

Last week I took a Detox Workshop with Elaine Brisebois at Lifewise Health and Wellness.
It was an hour and a half class and I took so many notes and learned so much about detoxing your body. Loved it!

It was even better than I thought because it was about detoxing as a lifestyle. I'm all about the lifestyle. If I make a change in my life, it has to be worthy of a lifestyle change. So I was pleasantly surprised when we didn't learn how to do a bi-monthly 4 day juice cleanse, but instead how we can be eating and living in a way that constantly helps our body to get rid of the toxins that build up from the foods we eat and the environment we live in.

I've made myself a 30 day challenge (I'm on day 2).

For the next 30 days I'm going to:

1. Drink a glass of lemon water every morning.
2. Do a 30 minute workout every morning. 
3. Drink a green smoothie for breakfast every morning.

Not so bad right? I can do it. And I think this will really make a difference in how I look and feel. What's great about making myself do this 30 days straight is that once my 30 days are up (September 24?) I'm almost positive this is something I will be able to consistently do. It only takes me waking up 30 minutes earlier each morning. I must do this. I can do this.

So what exactly will I be doing?

1. Wake up, get out of bed and immediately fill a tall glass with water and squeeze half a lemon in it.
2. Put on my 27 minute workout video. I've chosen to do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. (Until I get the real one, I found this link on youtube!)
3. Down a green smoothie. This is the recipe I'm using:

2 handfuls of spinach, 1 stalk of celery, 1 pear, 1/2 english cucumber, 1 tsp green matcha, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 cup of water.

Throw it in a blender (spinach first, not like this pic) and blend it on high until smooth.

I fill up a tall glass and drink it for breakfast and then drink the rest of it for "brunch" about 2 hours later.

There's so much to write about why green smoothies and lemon water are great for detoxing - but I will leave that for your own research and the professionals (like Elaine) to tell you about. Just know that your body likes veggies and being at a more alkaline state than acidic.

Looking forward to talking this four week course with Elaine coming up this Fall as well. So much to learn and implement, can't wait.

Here I go!