The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea”~Baroness Karen Blixen I love the sea like some people love chocolate. Nothing stills my soul like the sound of waves lapping away every last worry as the salty breeze kisses my skin. When I'm feeling a little ragged - which, uh, happens from time to time while parenting, right? - I [...] Continue Reading
Archives for July 2014
5 Myths That Have Kept You From Making Your Own Soap (But Shouldn’t!)
Okay, so I heat the oils to match the temperature of the lye solution, sprinkle in a little fairy dust, hop up and down three times and bark like a seal?" The first time I stood in my kitchen and tried to make soap, I'm pretty sure that's what my instructions said. Soap making seemed just slightly less difficult than building [...] Continue Reading
Is Your Amber Teething Necklace Authentic?
Have you ever wondered which teething remedies work and which ones don't? Baltic amber necklaces may seem silly, but actually the way they work is pretty simple. Amber resin contains succinic acid, a natural analgesic that is released when warm skin touches the beads. Unfortunately baltic amber is pretty easy to counterfeit, so if you've found [...] Continue Reading
We Need To Talk About Essential Oils
So, unless you’re living under a rock . . . You’ve probably noticed that essential oils have taken over the natural living world. You’ve probably also guessed by now that, despite some reports, they won’t give you superpowers or vacuum your house while you nap. But maybe you’re wondering if most of the claims about them could possibly be [...] Continue Reading
Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches (Grain-Free)
So, my husband might be an alien. Everyone knows that eating cookie dough is better than eating actual cookies - it's practically a law of the universe, like thermodynamics and general relativity, But when I told him I was making cookie dough ice cream bars he looked at me and said, "Why would you want to do THAT?" See? Alien. I'm going to [...] Continue Reading
How To Make Coconut Milk From Coconut Cream Concentrate
This little kitchen hack is so easy . . . It almost feels like cheating, but of all the methods I've used to make coconut milk it actually delivers the best results. (And I've used a few - you can watch my daughter and I make coconut milk from fresh coconut here and coconut flakes here.) Rich in immune-boosting lauric acid, bone building [...] Continue Reading
How To Get Kids To Clean Their Rooms In 16 Easy Steps
Me: Micah, what's your favorite color? Micah: Ummm . . . I wike . . . ponies. Kid logic is awesome, isn't it? I mean, who doesn't want to live in a world where octopus arms are "testicles," muscle scouts means brussels sprouts, and duh-boo-boo stands for the letter "W"? If you ask me, it makes perfect sense that seagulls should formally be [...] Continue Reading
Cast Iron Skillet Recipes
What's the price of Nonstick Nirvana? If you're using your old stash of Teflon cookware, the answer may be Teflon Toxicosis, which is what veterinarians call it when pet birds are killed by fumes from nonstick skillets. According to the Environmental Working Group: When the cookware heats to more than 500 degrees, the coatings begin to break down; [...] Continue Reading
