Calendula: The benefits and how to make your own

Calendula

Also known as Pot Marigold.

There are so many things you can do with this beautiful flower.

And the unique things about this, is that is maintains it's beautiful color.

It's a disinfectant, antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic.

It heals skin wounds.
Aids in comforting menstrual cramps and vaginal infections.
As a syrup, helps heal sore throats and coughs.
It can lighten hair.
As a balm is helps colic, arthritus, lumbago and rhuematism.
It helps heal ear, bladder and eye infections.
Antidepressant.

Bruises, boils and acne.

Constipation.
It helps skin irrations and insect bites.
Great for sunburn and diaper rash- I like to use it on my cloth wipes.

There are so many things you can do with it.

You can make an infused oil.

There are many different recipes, but the one I use is:
Fill a jar with calendula flower heads.
Pour oil (I use olive, avocado, jojoba oils) over the flowers.  This usually brings it to about 1-1.5 inch left in the jar.
Pour witch hazel to the top.
Shake a few times a day for a week and let it sit in the sun.

I use this for burns, cuts, diaper rash.

To make a salve:

If using fresh flowers, leave to wilt for at least 12 hours.
Make an infused oil (same recipe, minus the witch hazel).
Using 4 oz of infused oil and 8 oz of melted organic bees wax pellets.

So cut your marigolds, before they die!



World Breastfeeding Month 2014

August is world breastfeeding month!

 

 

I do love breastfeeding.

But I know it can be hard.

Breastfeeding is still making a comeback!
3 out of 4 mothers are continuing to breastfeed after they leave the hospital.
It is recommended to breastfeed for at least one year, but only half of mothers are still nursing at 6 months.
AAP recommends exclusively breastfeeding for at least months, but to continue nursing after solids are introduced.
 

 

I encourage all mothers to breastfeed.
There are so many benefits, for both mother and baby.

Breast milk is made uniquely and perfectly for YOUR baby.

Breast milk has 100 more ingredients beneficial to your babies development then cow's milk and formula.
Breastfed babies are less likely to be obese and have higher IQ scores.
Breastfed babies reportedly sleep better and cry much less.
Breastfed babies have higher immunities to common infections like urinary tract infections, ear infections and respiratory.
 

 

You can never overfeed a breastfed baby!

 

Not only is it beneficial for baby, it's also beneficial to you!

 

Breastfeeding helps the uterus contract and assists the body in post partum healing.
Exclusively breastfeeding can act as a natural birth control.
It boosts levels of oxytocin.
Mommies who breastfeed lower their risks of dying of heart attacks and other cancers by at least 33%.

 

 

Breast milk is also a cure all!
It can cure infections, cuts, cradle cap, burns, hemmorids, etc.
It has a high does of anti bodies.  It will fight off colds and other infections in big kids and adults.

 

Your body is amazing.
You can grow and feed a human being!



The Antedote: Activated Charcoal

Something that isn't in most households and should be, especially if you have children.

Activated Charcoal

 

We are talking about activated charcoal, not your burnt toast or what's on your grill.

Activated Charcoal.

Totally different.

 

Activated charcoal powder can adsorb thousands of times its own weight in gases, heavy metals, poisons, and other chemicals; leaving it ineffective and harmless.

 

(Think, when a super curious toddler child, gets into a chemical cleaning product...)

 

Adsorb:  the adhesion of atoms, ions and molecules, from a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent. This process differs from absorbing, in which a fluid (the absorbate) permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid (the absorbent).  Adsorption is a surface-based process while absorption involves the whole volume of the material.

 

It's what hospitals use for poisons and overdoses.

It was used in WWII in gas masks.

 

It eliminates gas, created by foods.

It eliminates bad breath.

It can be made to use in a compress, and draws out poison and bacteria.

It aids in digestive healing- diarrhea, spastic colon issues.

It helps heal ulcers.

It's the best reactor to spider and insect poison bites, poisonous mushrooms and snake bites.

 

It's used for jaundice babies.

It's used in water purification.

It whitens teeth.

It cleans pores and heals acne.

It lowers high blood pressure.

 

It acts as a detox for the body.

 

There is no study found that proves it is harmful if accidently ingested.

There are studies out there, proving that lethal doses of poison, mixed with charcoal, left the person or animal completely unharmed.

 

There are some things charcoal will not work on.

Iron, alcohol poisoning (but yes, it will aid in curing a hangover), cyanide and lithium.

 

But as with all things, there are side effects.

If taken on a daily basis, it can cause stomach problems- vomiting or diarrhea, black stools, constipation, black tongue.

Keep in mind, this is if you take a large amount.

The recommended amount is about a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half, as needed.

Replace Your Medicine Cabinet

Essential oils are a staple in my house.

 

My four year old has asked on more then one occasion "I need my calm" when she gets overwhelmed.
My husband has told me "Please.  Get your oils.  My head is pounding."


Essential oils have been used for thousands of years, quite extensively, directly or indirectly for better health.
Essential oils are made from steaming flowers, plants, bark and roots of plants.  How much more natural can you get?
These are not "oily" oils.

There are so different uses and benefits.
But my top 4 essential oils are definitely these:

 

I'm also a fan of clary sage, patchouli, chamomile and eucalyptus.

 

They can be used to aid as an antidepressant, antifungal, antimicrobial, acid reflux, decongestant, helps asthma, sleep.

 

I use it for my home made wipe solution, I dilute and rub lavender and chamomile on my kids; diluted peppermint and lemon for headaches, lemongrass for allergies.

I love cleaning with orange.

I put some in my wool dryer balls.

I sprinkle some on the sheets.

I diffuse different ones depending on how the day goes.

 

The thing about essential oils is making sure they are used safely!

Almost all of them need to be used diluted in a carrier oil (jojoba, coconut, grape seed, seasame, olive oil, etc). 

Pretty Little Thing For Pain: Baltic Amber

Baltic amber is a pretty, little pain relief secret.

 

 

The active ingredient is succinic acid, which is used in both pharmaceutical and homeopathic remedies.
Baltic Amber has about 5% succinic acid (anywhere from 3%-8%).
It's a super antioxdant, aiding the neural and immune systems.

 

 

 

(Succinic Acid: A colorless crystalline dicarboxylic acid)

 

And there is NO evidence that having "too much" succinic acid is harmful.

 

Cosmetically this is sometimes called "elixir of youth" and is used for anti aging.

It prevents build up of harmful oxidants.
It also supports energy at a cellular level.

 

They work wonders on teething babies!

 

I was a bit skeptical, at first.

A necklace, on a baby?!  Isn't that dangerous!  Look how small those beads are!  Isn't that a choking hazard, for them to chew on?

 

The thing is, they DON'T chew on the necklace.

The succinic acid reacts with the body temperature to relieve the pain caused by teething.

 

The Baltic amber teething necklaces for babies are not supposed to come past their chin.

Each bead is individually knotted, so if the baby (or anything) were to pull on it, it would break and only one bead would break off.
So, the likelihood that it would be swallowed is very slim to none.
In the rare case it does end up in the baby's mouth, they are small enough they will just be swallowed and not choked on.

 

They really do work!

 

Being that the baby can't really tell me if it is or not, I bought one for a family member who has carpal tunnel very bad- to the point is disturbs sleep.

After wearing the necklace (wrapped around to be a bracelet) it does not hurt at all.

 

I wore one.

After pinching a nerve in my back and causing pain down my arm and chest, it felt almost instantly better once I put on the necklace.

 

What Crunchy Moms Do

This whole "crunchy" thing, both makes me cringe and makes me laugh. 

 

The thing about being "crunchy" is it's being made into a fad.
I heard someone say "Oh I just started being crunchy."
What?

 

I think it's a thing that either you are or you aren't.
You don't just become.

 

Even as a child, I remember being grossed out about pesticides (which I didn't know where called pesticides).  I just knew when I went to eat a grape and my mom yelled not to eat it, because she didn't wash it yet, and it had chemicals on it.
What?
Why would they put chemicals on my grapes!?  And then say it's healthy?!

 

 

I also noticed, during conversation with other moms, that things I do (and I think are just normal) would get the response "Oh you're one of those hippie, crunchy moms."

 

Really?

 

So what exactly are "crunchy" things?

 

1. Natural birth/home birth
2. Co sleeping
3. Breastfeeding, especially extended breastfeeding
4. Babywearing
5. Non Vax
6. Delayed/selected vaccinations
7. Cloth diapering, cloth wipes, wipe solution
8. Kombucha & Kefir
9. Make your own kombucha & kefir
10. Make your own diapers and wipes
11. Coconut oil- for everything
12. Essential oils
13. Make your own cleaning products, sunscreen, bug spray, body scrub, coffee creamer, beauty products etc
14. Anti RIC
15. Wool dryer balls
16. Reusable bags
17. Extended Rear Facing
18. Organic food
19. Grows own food
20. Raises chickens
21. Milk, other then cow's milk (coconut, almond, goat)
22. GMO free food
23. Amber Teething Necklaces
24. Baltic Amber Necklaces for other then the baby
25. Frequently uses the term "big pharma"
26. Sewing
27. Spirulina
28. Hypno babies
29. Glass jars- tons of them, eliminating plastic
30. Unpaper towels
31. Knows at least 5 things that will increase milk supply
32. Homeschools/unschools (or has considered it)
33. Bradley Method
34. Canning
35. Lactation cookies
36. Ina May Gaskin
37. Cooks only with cast iron- or primarily

Please add on, for fun!

 

Placentophagia: Why you should eat your placenta

Placentophagia: eating your placenta post birth
Sounds pretty gross, right?

It's not.  And it's actually really good for you.
Many other countries already do this, but for some reason in the good ol' USA, it's usually discarded.  And even sometimes, if a mother asks for her placenta, a hospital will refuse.

Fun Fact:  Most mammals eat their placenta post birth.  This is not just a weird thing humans did.

(It's that pretty?)

 

Now usually, people don't eat it in this form.

It's usually dehydrated and mixed with herbs, into pill form.

 

That bad boy is loaded with good stuff.

 

For one, it's made uniquely and perfectly for the mother, with her own hormones.

Boosting immunity.
Reducing stress levels.
Replenishes (easily absorbable) iron level- which many new moms lack.

Aids in healing of uterus, reduces post partum bleeding and helps aid in uterus returning to pre birth size.

Aids in post partum depression and mood swings.

Boost oxytocin levels.
Boost milk supply.
Boosts energy levels.
Brings hormone levels to a balance.
Filled with a many natural hormones and substances.