natural ways to keep your home healthy

At first I was going to talk about how to keep your home healthy this winter, but then realized not only is winter almost over (whew!), but it doesn't matter what season it is ~ a healthy home is important year-round. 

One way to keep your home healthy is to diffuse essential oils. Just make sure you're buying pure, quality oils - not fragrance oils. Some recommended brands are NOW, doTERRA, Young Living, Edens Garden, Rocky Mountain Oils, and Mountain Rose Herbs. (Disclaimer: Consult with your veterinarian before diffusing essential oils in any household with pets.)

To purify the air with antiseptic and antibacterial properties, make your own combination of Thieves Oil using clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils. You can find a variation of recipes here, as well as the history of Thieves Oil. You can also use these recipes as a disinfectant spray or a massage oil.

This is my box of essential oils, so far. I'm building my collection! I love this wooden box ~ it holds my 1 oz bottles perfectly and is very sturdy. It also comes with labels for the tops of the bottles, which is very helpful. This isn't a sponsored post; it's just something I love and thought I'd share. You can find this box and labels here. 

 I have a diffuser in the spare room where I'm often on my laptop or doing yoga. I know this diffuser isn't particularly pretty, but I got it for free (in exchange for a honest online review) a couple of years ago, so I can't complain. ;-) 

Wiping down all the surfaces in your house that get dirty and where germs collect ~ countertops, sinks, faucet handles, refrigerator handle and doorknobs ~ is an important task to do every day to keep your home (and yourself) healthy. Please do not use disinfectant wipes such as Clorox or Lysol. They are simply loaded with chemicals which are not only bad for your own health, but the environment. See the list of ingredients from The Environmental Working Group and more information on the ingredients and dangers of these wipes at Women's Voices. 

It's best (and easy!) to make your own natural disinfecting spray using essential oils, or to buy a brand with the most natural ingredients, such as Dr. Bronner's, Aussan Natural, Eco-Me, or Better Life. One of my go-to homemade disinfecting sprays takes less than two minutes to make. You can use this cleaner on kitchen counters, stove, appliances, floors, mirrors, and in the bathroom. At first, I was skeptical about using this cleaner on mirrors, but I can attest to the fact that it cleans better than Windex ~ which is another cleaner that's full of chemicals. Just make sure you don't use this cleaner on granite or marble as these surfaces are porous and can be damaged with vinegar:

LEMON DISINFECTING SPRAY
1 cup purified or distilled water
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup witch hazel
20 drops essential lemon oil

Instructions: Using a funnel, pour all ingredients into a spray bottle. Shake before using.

More easy disinfecting spray recipes:

Live Simply

Don't Mess with Mama

One Essential Community

Dr. Axe

Of course, one of the most important things you can do in order to keep your home healthy in the first place, is to wash your hands with plain soap and water frequently, especially after being out in public or around sick people. Skip the antibacterial soap as they contain harmful ingredients and help create drug-resistant mutant germs. Click here - ABC News for just one of the many news or medical articles out there on this subject.

If you have other ways you help keep your home naturally healthy, please share with us!

the yin and yang of days

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that one of my passions is healthy

 cooking and eating. I'm also a strong believer in exercise to keep one healthy, 

but I still really struggle with that one -  as in getting enough exercise. I also know

 that no matter how well we take care of our bodies, something is going to go wrong

 once in awhile. Last month, I started having some shoulder pain. I didn't really

 think anything of it. It'd come and go. But then it started to get worse, especially when 

moving my arm behind me, like to put on my seat belt or when getting dressed.

The pain was mostly in the front part of my shoulder and a little down my arm. 

I saw an orthopedic doctor yesterday and had x-rays and an exam. I was diagnosed

 with rotator cuff impingement. Common in people that do a lot of overhead work 

or swimmers and pitchers (I am neither), but also common in middle-aged people.

 I'll be starting physical therapy tomorrow and I have to go 2-3 days/week for six

 weeks. I've been to physical therapy in past years for my back. It is not fun. And it

 takes up  a lot of time. I'm feeling pretty bummed about this. I also want to get acupuncture 

treatments (I'm a strong believer in holistic and non-drug treatment whenever possible) 

but Brian's insurance doesn't cover acupuncture anymore. Doesn't that figure? I love

 how these insurance companies will pay for drug treatment (don't get me started on 

Big Pharma!) but not alternative, non-harmful treatments that actually cure the problem 

instead of just masking it. Of course I know why - neither drug companies nor 

health insurance companies benefit financially. Off my soap box now...long story short,

 I found an acupuncture place that might be able to work with me on a sliding scale. 

It just might be doable. I also have some other medical tests coming up and so

does Brian, so I've been feeling a bit bummed about all this lately. But, enough of

that stuff...I do not want to dwell on the negative.

So! Now for some happy news: Jemma is hosting a Tis The Season Blog Tour 

coming up December 9-14 and I will be one of the blogs on that tour!  Each day

 will feature a different blogger - some of whom you may be familiar with; others

 may be new to you. I think it'll be fun to see different homes, pretty Christmas 

decor, perhaps some holiday recipes, and to make some new blogger friends. 

And around my home today...remember the bland cork board in my kitchen where

I wanted to do something with vintage recipes? I had thought of putting criss-cross

 ribbon on the bulletin board, but then had a better idea.

 

 I covered it with scrapbook paper! Much better, yes? The colors are

bright and cheery and match my kitchen. Something simple that even this

non-crafter could do!

Happy hump day, everyone. 

 

weekend chat and eating healthy

Good Monday morning, my lovely friends! How was your weekend?

My hubby had some vacation days, so it was nice having him at home, enjoying
 his company and getting some things done around the house. We also took another
 day trip up to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. There's a church/Bible camp there that we
 used to go to annually when the kids were growing up.This is a camp where people
 from all over the US and Canada (and sometimes other countries, as well) go.
We rent the facilities at a private college. Anyway, one of my best girlfriends in the
 world, who lives in Canada, goes every year so I like to go up there on that Friday
and spend time with her. Other friends and my nieces were there too, so there's lots of
talking and togetherness. We stayed in one of  the campus apartments talking and
 laughing and didn't leave until 12:30 a.m., so we didn't get home until 3 a.m.
We felt pretty darn tired the next day. We're too old to be out all night!

 I made a delicious and nutritious dinner last night that was easy and quick to prepare.
 I don't think I've talked much about it before on my blog, but I'm pretty passionate
 about "clean eating". I avoid (as much as possible) processed and refined foods,
 trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, food dyes, nitrates and nitrites, excess
 sodium, and genetically modified foods. I read labels on every food product before
 I buy it. It's amazing all the crap that food companies sneak into their product; even
 foods that are targeted towards children. I don't eat a lot of meat, but that's just a
personal preference. When I do buy and eat meat, I try to buy organic. Same with
 eggs, vegetables and fruits. I firmly believe that a lot of our health problems
 (namely, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and certain cancers)
are due to poor eating habits. 

I don't mean to be preachy. I'm not saying I never eat any junk food or anything
that is "bad" for me. And I am overweight because I don't exercise consistently.
But I am trying. I'm taking one step at a time and the first step is to be aware
of what I put in my mouth.

Anyway, on to the dinner. Cut up a couple of sweet onions and saute

in unrefined coconut oil or cold-pressed olive oil for about 4 minutes.

Add a bunch of halved cherry tomatoes. I used yellow and red. Continue to 

saute for another 4 minutes.

Then add 3 slivered garlic cloves, fresh basil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Saute for a few more minutes, until veggies are tender.

Take the veggies out of the pan and put them into a bowl; cover to keep warm.

 In the same pan, add a bit more coconut oil or olive oil and saute organic chicken

 breasts (seasoned with salt and pepper) for 4 minutes per side. If you're a vegetarian,
you can saute some cubed tofu instead.

 Place a chicken breast on a dinner plate and heap with the veggie mixture.

At this point, you can sprinkle some feta cheese on top of the veggie mixture,

if you desire. I served fresh, steamed green beans as a side dish. Yum!

 For tons more information on healthy and clean eating, check out the blog,

100 Days of Real Food. I've recently discovered this blog and it is a wealth

of information! There's meal ideas, budgeting tips, school lunch ideas, recipes,

and tons more. I hope to be sharing my own recipes and healthy tips more often.

Here's to our health!