Archive for the ‘The Green Life!’ Category

I spent my morning, Wednesday, volunteering with my shorty’s second grade class. They’re such a cute bunch of kids. I’ve been volunteering with Kyle’s class since he was in kindergarten, so many of these kids I’ve known for a few years, and I’ve watched them grow up right along side my own.

I was leaving the house at my usual 9:50 to be there by 10:00, but I found a layer of ice so thick on my windshield that I couldn’t scrape it away with my snow brush scraper! It was a lost cause. I got inside and waited with the defrost on until the ice started to look a little… different… and THEN got out and hit it with the scraper and it came off in sheeeeeets. The roads were completely ice covered with a nice, thick layer of slush on top.

I stood at the door a moment ago and listened to the crackling of the landscape in the breeze. It’s only 25 degrees out, but still the rain continues to fall periodically. I’m going to call the school in a few minutes here and put my kids on the “pick-up” list. In any kind of hazardous driving weather, I just can’t allow them to ride the bus. Thank Goddess, I am blessed to have the option :)

As I’ve been here in my chair, watching this blizzard rage for the last 3-4 days, my mind has been entertaining ideas of spring. I know it might seem like January 3, 4, 5 might be a touch early to be entertaining gardening fantasies, but I disagree! Ever since 2008’s winter solstice, I feel differently about this time of year. Yes, everything is completely buried under FEET of snow and ice right now, and will stay that way for 3-4 months.

HOWEVER!!!

I feel almost charged with electricity this time of year! We’ve passed the darkest day and now the light is building. It’s the upswing. Even in the snow and cold, the earth below is renewing itself and resting. As the light builds slowly, so does the temperature until one morning VERY soon, I will look out into my back yard and see the tiny green chutes of life poking through the leftover snow where my daffodils will soon stand tall. It’s…. thrilling… magical.

Ah Magic! The word that brings me here to this post.

In looking forward to constructing a garden this spring, I had a sudden thought. Gardening. Growing vegetables, herbs, fruits…even flowers. THAT takes a little magic. That takes some know-how and some research and some reading and some trial and error (mostly error for me thus far! LOL). Gardening and all things related is DEFINITELY something that belongs in the Book of Light that’s used by a wife, mom, homemaker &/or solitary witch.

Hey! That’s me!!
And so it shall be done. I need a catchy name for it…. OH! All things grown… That would be Earth Magic :)

I’m very excited now! I know that the reason I’ve had garden flop for the last 2 years is because I was REALLY half-assing it. This year, the whole ass goes in baby! Wait. Oh never mind.

I’m looking forward to spending the next few months gathering information on the plants I want to grow and learning about what I need to do to make THIS year’s harvest a total success! I foresee the “Earth Magic” section of my book filling up quickly!

Be Blessed* )

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Happy September Everyone!

This is going to be a brief post. I just wanted to share a couple things with you all this morning before I go off to enjoy this beautiful sunshine.

Firstly ~
I found this REALLY awesome website. It’s at ChoreWars.com. This evening when the boys get home from school, I intend to help them create their own characters and we’re going to play this game!

What you do is….
You create your own character in this “role playing” type game and every time you complete a real life chore, you log in and add it to your character and your avatar then gains power. Your family sets up their own characters and you play against each other gaining points and power by DOING CHORES!!!

I thought, WOW…what an awesome idea! So, I’m in!

Secondly ~
This one’s only for the girls! I found some very interesting ideas for relieving PMS and cramps. I’m going to give them ALL a try this month and I will let you know if they work. They sound promising. Check back the week of September 13th and I should have something to say about them by then.

Just for the record, they are… 1) Sleeping only 4 hours the night before you expect PMS. Apparently it corrects out of whack body rhythms and works for 80% of women. – 2) A topical pain reliever of lotion, almond oil, and 1 drop each of lavender, sage and rose oil. Supposedly will cut cramps in half! – 3) Taking 4g of flaxseed oil everyday is said to ease cramps and PMS symptoms by stopping the triggering of sharp uterine contractions.

If anyone has heard of or tried these before, I’d love to hear from you :)

Finally ~
I have been hearing a LOT about swine flu recently. I got this article from Dr. Mercola this morning and I wanted to repost it. I’m against vaccinations in the first place. I wish I’d have known more about them sooner, but alas, only one of my children has not been immunized. Anyway, here’s the article link. I hope you’ll check it out. It’s worth the read.
Swine Flu Shot Linked to Killer Nerve Disease

I’ll be back later on with a post about my chakra of the day.

Have a lovely day!

Happy Spirit Day ~

Today I’ve got an array of interesting things to tell you. I’ve compiled a short list of tips and tricks that I want to share. I hope you find something useful.

Tip #1 ~

To keep cool in the summer, have a healthy, vitamin packed snack and get rid of fresh fruit before the fruit flies overtake your kitchen, try this quick trick.

Put fresh fruit in the freezer. My kids ADORE frozen banana slices. Use grapes, mango, bananas, melon… virtually any fruit. For an added treat, serve with whipped cream or peanut butter.

Tip #2 ~

Make a short list of things that need to be washed on an irregular basis such as throw rugs, comforters, dog beds, jackets, backpacks, and curtains. Then tape it to the top of your washer. Next time you don’t quite have a full load, check your list and pick something that needs to go through rotation.

Tip #3 ~

To keep bugs away, try a drop or two of catnip oil on your chair, towel or clothes.

Tip #4 ~

Check out http://stoneyfield.com/ AND http://horizonorganic.com/ for printable coupons on organic products!

Tip #5 ~

Need a place to store your broom? Affix a piece of magnet about midway down the handle and stand it up between your fridge and the wall. It will be handy when you need it and the magnet will keep it upright and within reach.

Video ~ Moon Cycles

Recipe ~ Pasta Pepperoni

We are destroying the planet. We know it. That’s why being “green” is such a movement these days.

First, here’s my personal philosophy on being “green”.
I try to do my part. I recycle. I try to choose organic foods and chemical free cleaning supplies. I conserve electricity by unplugging everything not in use. These and lots of other small things have become second nature to me. I don’t think these small things are too much to ask. As I learn of new ways that I can contribute to the healing of my Earth Mother, I implement them into my daily life. This is my way of life. This is something important to me.

Now, here’s my current observation.
I have been inside two separate Kmart stores in the past week. The first time I spent roughly $100 and I received 4 feet, yes 48 inches of paper receipt and survey phone numbers and coupons. The second time was just this morning and I spent only $10 and I received one coupon short of 4 feet of paper. Both times I stood in silence simply stunned by the waste being spit out by the cash register.

Both times, the cashier also stared in disbelief and something resembling embarrassment.

I’m appalled by such policies. Especially in such a large corporation. If only one million people in the world go to Kmart in one day, which is a gross under estimate, that’s FOUR MILLION FEET OF RECEIPT PAPER!! Receipt paper that most people wad up and pitch in the nearest trash can or shove in their purse for later disposal.

If one person, like you or me, doing little things in daily life can make a difference, then a HUGE corporation like Sears Holdings Corporation (YEAH! SEARS!!) can make a massive impact.

I am emailing their customer service to suggest greener business practices and I implore you to do the same. So many people have computers and sign up for emails and newsletters and store fliers, there’s no logical reason to be so wasteful with our trees.

~Copied from http://www.kmart.com~
E-Mail us with questions or comments.
help@customerservice.kmart.com

Here is my letter sent at 1:20pm EST.

I recently visited 2 different Kmart stores. Both times as I left the register, I was given FOUR FEET of paper receipt with coupons and survey info and all around junk. It was like being hit with junk mail. I found it irritating.

Aside from the pure annoyance of it, it was one of the most disgusting wastes of paper I’ve ever seen. With today’s technology and  the green movement spreading in an attempt to save our planet, one would think a large corporation, such as yours, would want to be a part of this revolution.

I don’t claim to know anything about running a corporation, but it seems to me that NOT printing out 4 feet of receipt per person would be a money saver. Most people crumple it up and pitch it anyway. It’s just wasteful.

To do my part in living a green life and saving OUR planet, I intend to boycott your corporation just to save the paper. I also intend to blog about it. I know you may not even notice the missing sales and that’s okay because my intention isn’t to harm you company. My intention is to simply save some trees and OUR planet and to raise awareness of the importance of living a conscious life.

Please consider promoting your business in a greener way. I know consumers care and in the long run, I believe consumers will care more about corporations who care. I know I do.

Thank you for considering my opinion. I hope you have a wonderful day.

One Tree at a Time,
El Baugher

∞

I have an AWESOME non-toxic flea repellent for your dogs today!

I was doing some research online for my own darling Abby and found quite a wide variety of suggested home remedies for keeping fleas away.

The one I went with is garlic infused olive oil.

First let me say, she LOVES the flavor!
If I don’t mix it into her dry food, she’ll just lick it off the top. My friend Kris says that her dog sees her pick up the oil jar and starts getting all excited! Getting your dog to eat this will not be likely to be a problem.

Abby has been eating about 1 tsp a day for about 2 weeks now. The red marks on her lower belly where the fleas were biting her and she was digging are completely gone. She’s not excessively licking, biting, or itching anywhere anymore. Her fur has a beautifully healthy looking sheen to it now. She even had some dry skin on the top of her nose that seems to have gone away.

She’s a BIG belly rub lover so I check her under areas for fleas and ticks on a constant basis. She’s happy to roll onto her back and let her tongue loll out the side of her mouth while I rub her belly and look through her fur. After she ate the oil in her food for about 3 days, I completely stopped seeing any bugs on her.

I did, however, stop feeding her the oil for 2 days in a row and saw fleas again. It’s got to be the scent of her skin when she’s ingesting the oil regularly. If this is true, it might work to put the oil in places on the fur of the animal, but I believe she gets enough obvious benefit from eating it that it’s worth giving it to her.

Cats shouldn’t eat onions, garlic or related root vegetables. Onions contain N-propyl disulphide which destroys red blood cells in cats, causing a form of anemia called Heinz Body Anemia. Garlic contains a similar substance in a smaller amount. If it’s the scent that repels the fleas, you might be able to place the oil in a spot on the back of the neck where the cat couldn’t lick it.

It’s important that you cook the oil and garlic together. Garlic can have traces of Clostridium Botulinum, which causes botulism, because it comes out of the ground where the bacterium are often found.

Here’s how I make mine.

I add 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil to a small saute pan with a couple minced cloves of garlic. Then I cook it on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. That’s 3-4 minutes total time. Be sure you don’t get the heat too high.

Burnt garlic is VERY yucky!!

After it cools, I store it in a small glass jelly jar. I don’t know for sure if it would require refrigeration but I keep mine there regardless.

Every morning, after our 3 mile bike ride/run, I give Abby a scoop of food and add 1 tsp of the garlic oil, drizzled over the top. Then I stir it in.

She loves it and now, I love it too :)

Related Resources

• 101 Dog Tricks
• Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
• The Dog Whisperer: Beginning and Intermediate Dog Training
• Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats

∞

Are you slowly poisoning yourself and your family?
I’m one of the “Greenest” people I know and it turns out, I am….
I have just finished reading “Super Natural Home – Improve your health, home, and planet – one room at a time” By Beth Greer.

This really was a fantastic book.
It was not only filled with information on what common toxins are found in our homes, food, water, body care products, soaps and shampoos, but also all the different names they go by and how to identify them.

There are suggestions for each and every room in your home on how you can breathe easier and greener in the place you spend most of your time.

Now, I’m a pretty green minded individual myself. And usually I pick things up about how to economize or save money or be greener and I’m always happy that they’re things I already know and implement. It’s like a pat on the back and lets me know I’m doing what I can. It is a bit of a bummer though. I’m always looking for MORE knowledge. What else can I do?! How else can I make a difference?! But they’re always things I already do!

Well, LET ME TELL YOU!!
I learned SO much from this book! I skimmed through it once. Then I read it. Then I skimmed through it again. I keep referring back to it constantly. This is truly a fantastic book for anyone trying to lead a more conscious and green life.

There’s even a list of cosmetics (PAY ATTENTION LADIES!) with toxins in them. But you’ll also find in this book the list of natural, toxin free cosmetics and the surprising list of suppliers.

After you read this book, the illnesses and mental issues that so many people have REALLY makes sense.
I’m SO glad I’ve added this book to my collection and I VERY highly recommend you add it to yours.

Are you feeding your family the most nutritious food available? Are you getting the best food for your buck?

During the summer months, produce is harvested fresh and sold locally at road side stands and farmers markets all over the country. During these months, I do my best to buy any produce I don’t already grow, from local farmers.

Buying local produce is not only better for your health, it’s better for the environment. They’re Green Greens!! HA!

People were originally intended to eat locally. Your body reaches a certain balance that thrives in your local area. You become immune to the viruses and bugs. Don’t believe me? Ever hear, “If you go to Mexico, don’t drink the water”?

Your body finds more nutritional value in your local produce because it comes from an area in which you reside, but also because it doesn’t lose it’s nutrient content while it’s traveling in questionable refrigeration across the country or even across oceans.

Being that the produce hits the stand usually a day after it’s harvested, it’s got peak nutritional value. Being that it doesn’t have to be packaged, shipped, driven, stocked and sold, you also will see a reduction in price.

So, it’s better for your body, your wallet, your local community, and your planet. How can you go wrong?!
Eat green greens!

Here are 2 VERY awesome links to help you and your family start eating better locally!

LocalHarvest.org is a site that will tell you what produce is available in your community. I was SHOCKED at what’s readily available in MY area. There’s so much more than I ever knew.

EatWild.com is a site that will tell you where there are farms in your local area where you can purchase beef, pork, and chicken that is raised locally, lives free range, is grass fed, is antibiotic and hormone free and is humainly killed.

Childhood obesity is being linked in part to the growth hormones injected into mass produced cattle. By buying locally, you’re supporting your local farmers AND you’re now one less family supporting the inhuman treatment and slaughter of animals. As long as it’s in demand, it will be mass produced.

Do yourself, your family, your community and your world a favor and buy locally raised food whenever you can!