Memorial Day

 Happy Memorial Day! Fresh picked flowers from mother's garden for my father's parents' grave site.

Even my father was able to visit - which was exciting! Due to his illness he has good and bad days, so this happened to be a good day!

fresh picked pink roses

Delightfully fresh and vibrant pink roses fragrant my home . Further enhanced by a vintage Scotty inkwell collaboration - one of the many unique pieces that I have collected over the years, from my personal Scottish Terrier colllection.

Note the background photography: spring flowers always remind me of my trip to Paris in late May and touring one of my favorite and most influential artists' gardens - Oscar-Claude Monet. I will always be an impressionistic girl!

easter dinner

 I made homemade vanilla cupcakes with homemade cream cheese butter frosting for Easter. Pinterest gave me the idea for creating tiny bird nests atop each pastel mini cake. Very delicious!!

 Dinner was at my grandmother's house this Easter holiday.

 I picked farm fresh eggs after we ate and then we all set out on the patio to convo.

 This is my fiance's and my wedding quilt , which my grandmother has been hand stitching for a couple of years now - based on the quilt she saw in the famous writer, Jane Austen's home, in England.

Had to stop off at the farmer's market before dinner to pick up these handmade hot cross buns, locally made by KatieMade - which can also be found at Mama Jeans and Homegrown Food. So yummy!

Lavender and Honey , oh my!!

With spring allergies in full swing this past month I have been challenging myself to gain knowledge and experiment with more natural approaches to clearing up those runny noses and itchy watery eyes that I so miserably dread. Don't get me wrong, I love hiking in the mornings and picking beautiful bouquets of flowers for the kitchen table, but if you are an allergy sufferer like me, you know that spring can often be an unbearable time. I kept thinking how easy it was, each spring, to run to the medicine cabinet and take an OTC allergy pill day in and day out. But then I looked at the ingredients list. Trying to decode that ingredient list on the back of that allergy pill bottle was not only overwhelming but honestly, I just didn't have the patience. One of the first ingredients was artificial color, which is scary, so that was enough for me!

Fast forward - I have been topically applying Lavender essential oil (one to two drops on a q-tip ) on the inside of each nostril each morning, for the past month. I also take a teaspoon of local raw honey with my tea each morning. I follow this regimen religiously, which I feel is an important factor not to be overlooked. Stick with it! Plus, their is a plethora of added benefits that comes from taking LOCAL raw honey, not honey from another state, LOCAL. I'm picky when it comes to honey and I only take honey who's origins are from the city I currently live in. If I'm in a pinch, for example, travelling, I will give in, but try to stick to LOCAL raw honey. I buy mine at the farmer's market and it is surprisingly not expensive - plus you receive the added advantage of feeling good about yourself by giving back to your local community through purchasing from a local company/vendor.

I may have a slight drip of the nose here and there but any miserable symptoms have subsided.

A side note ------ I do NOT orally take essential oils, mainly because I just don't know that much about them, but if interested, I suggest first reading up about the different therapeutic grade brands of essential oils. Plain and simple - some can just not be ingested so educate yourself! I've found that applying essential oils topically gets the job done, but I will sometimes use a carrier oil, such as coconut or vegetable oil, mixed with an essential oil for even better absorbtion and a lower risk of skin irritation. ( I personally don't use a carrier oil when applying Lavender to my nostrils  because I'm not allergic to Lavender and have applied topically many times without irritation). Enjoy!

apple cider vinegar spritzer

In the last post I discussed my current personal experience utilizing the no poo method. I also hinted that I would soon be sharing a fantasticly superb idea for a DIY Apple cider vinegar spritzer. Well here it is:


It all began when I knew I would need a spray bottle to squirt the Apple cider vinegar on to my locks, but I didn't want to go out and buy a new spray bottle when I could just recycle one. So, I started looking around the house and found one. But, after quick consideration I just didn't feel right about putting organic Apple cider vinegar in to a container which had been invaded with parabens and other previous harsh cleaning chemicals. At this time I happened to be surfing Pinterest, as I always find time in my daily schedule to do, and came across this! (Light bulb turning on in my head). The sprayer from my reusable spray bottle perfectly fit on to the top my glass bottle of Spectrum's organic Apple cider vinegar. (FYI - I would highly recommend washing the reused sprayer before you reutilize it) I literally screwed the sprayer on and said "How cool!" And then I excitedly showed my fiance, as if I had just completed a marathon or won a Nobel Peace Prize. I must say that I'm easily amused by easy DIY projects that I can accomplish  in seconds! So there you have it! A recycled DIY Apple cider vineger spritzer. I also love projects that are cheap - or in this case - don't cost a thing and you are able to recycle at the same time. Enjoy!

no poo indeed!

 Ok, so today I decided, yet again, to challenge myself within the eco friendly world of beauty. With a quick trip to my pantry (so nice not having to make an extra trip to market when I already had all of these common household items at my humble abode) I jumped in the shower and got right to work! Mixing a Tablespoon of baking soda with a 1/2 cup of water and mixing in one of my recycled canning jars, I said "voila!" and on to my scalp I poured. Scrubbing mildly, not too rough or irritation will occur, I let the baking soda and H2O consistency set in my hair for 30 seconds, then rinsed. After this I spritzed Apple cider vinegar (a trick to creating your own Apple cider vinegar spritzer will be posted next time) on to the ends of my hair and let that sit while I finished up in the shower. Right before you get out, rinse the vinegar out, very well, might I add, otherwise your fiance will be asking what that certain bitter smell is coming from your locks! I found this out from trial and error 😊.

I add a teaspoon on coconut oil to the ends of my locks every other week or so, while in the shower, right after the vinegar stage. You have to get used to the feel of oiliness in your hair, because coconut oil will stick with your hair for a couple of no poo washes. If that is an issue use coconut oil more sparingly. I have a friend that used the no poo method for 4 months straight, loved it, but ended up stopping because abruptly dryness occured. Evidently, she was not using coconut oil, which I believe is a key ingredient to the smooth and shiny natural hair factor in this equation. I also love coconut oil because it has so many uses! So, after a few weeks of no pooing, I personally, have noticed that my oil levels are now  balancing out. For some, this could take a month or two for your hair 's oils to balance out, but stick with it and I believe your locks will end up healthier versus using a shampoo. While reading up on this method I also came across many testimonials in regards to noticing less split ends and faster growing hair...bonus!!! Also, another added benefit of no poo is Cheap Cheap Cheap! Finally, a cheap way to go green! All you have to do now is go for it! If you don't like it you can always go back to your normal routine. But I challenge you to take the 30 day no poo method!

spring nature hikes

 After the dreary cold weather fled the scene, I decided to welcome the rejuvenation of life and spring back into my life with morning hikes at the local Nature Center.

 This doe and I saw eye to eye as I quickly snapped a photo and carefully passed.

Back on the trail for a peaceful start to my morning. If you aren't an early riser, then I would recommend hiking at sunset. Great photo opportunities and exercise await you! Get out and explore what mother earth has to offer!