Tag Archives: family health

Carrot, Ginger and Orange Juice

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Both my kids are snotty. It’s that horrible fine (blurry) line between sending them to school with a bit of snot and the occasional cough (and pleading ignorance – come on parents, you all know what I’m talking about) and keeping them home (read: ex-haus-ting) and rearranging my work schedule.  Arghhhh…

I’m not a regular pill popper when it comes to my kids, but I’m also not Georg Von Trapp and do offer them meds should they need them. But my first port of call is always going natural. So yesterday we had a juice-making-marathon making carrot, ginger and orange juice. It is very cute when I add too much ginger and my 2 year old calls it ‘th-py-thy’ (spicy).

Recipe: Not a tough one guys – carrots, ginger and orange (skin peeled off!).

orange, ginger and carrot juice 2

Yesterday I also added some left over papaya and a tiny knob of pineapple (it was about to be tossed – one the best thing about a juicer is that you can use almost-off stuff and not be grossed out). If you need to sweeten it (reduce the th-py-thy-ness), apples can be added, and I had some half cut lemons that I tossed in too. I poured it in a mason jar and kept it in the fridge and the whole family had a health boost.

Take those remains and toss them in your compost or use them to make bokashi bran.

I also popped some of the juice into my Zoku-maker and made ‘ice creams’ for the kids. What a win. They are such innocent little beings, and so stoked to have ice creams as part of their dinner. Shame.

Keep warm, healthy and safe this winter.

Picture credit: www.createnourishlove.com

 

The Benefits of Grounding (no, I don’t mean your kids)

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We’ve just come back from Wilderness. Let’s not get into it, sob sob, it was so absolutely amazing, I’m still sad it’s over. We joined old friends from a pre-Vancouver season and it was as if nothing had ever changed (barring the 4 kids we had produced between us in the time gone by)…

In the back of my mind, I was secretly stoked with all the grounding that was going on. No, not the ‘naughty child type’, but the the ‘touching the ground for the sake of your health’ type. Otherwise known as earthing.

kids sitting on beach

I first learnt about grounding from my guru Wellness Mama. She explains it like this:

‘The theory is that our bodies are meant to come into contact with the Earth (a “grounding” force) on a regular basis. Positive electrons in the form of free radicals (ever heard of those guys?) can build up in our bodies and direct contact with the ground balances this out as it is a negative grounding charge.

Our bodies and cells have electrical energy, and especially with the high prevalence of electromagnetic waves, Wi-Fi and mobile phone waves, many of us have a high amount of positive electrons built up in our bodies’.

And the truth is, we’ve never needed grounding as much as we do right now. I used to be all proud of my attempts at getting my kids ‘grounded’ by sending them to school barefoot, and watching them run on the grass, but that had a lot to do with not finding shoes in time for school and the school being pretty blasé about it. Win-win.

wilderness view from top of stairs

According to emerging research, grounding/earthing can be beneficial in:

  • Reducing inflammation by defusing excess positive electrons
  • Reducing chronic pain
  • Improving sleep
  • Increasing energy
  • Lowering stress and promoting calmness by reducing stress hormones.
  • Normalizing biological rhythms including circadian rhythm
  • Improving blood pressure and blood flow
  • Relieving muscle tension and headache
  • Lessens menstrual and female hormone symptoms
  • Speeds healing – used in some places to prevent bed sores
  • Can eliminate jet lag
  • Protecting the body from EMFs
  • Shortens recovery time from injury or athletic activity
  • Reducing or eliminating snoring
  • Helping support adrenal health

You see, it used to happen naturally:

‘Throughout history, humans have spent time outdoors much more than we do in modern time and have been in direct contact with the soil. From walking on the ground barefoot, to gardening or tilling the soil, humans have always touched the earth… until recently.

Now, we live in houses, wear rubber shoes, are exposed to EMFs daily and don’t often come into direct contact with the ground.

Have you ever noticed that you sleep better on a beach vacation after walking in the sand or being in the ocean? The sand and ocean water and both naturally conductive materials and both help ground the body and remove excess positive electrons. For the same basic reason that we ground electrical outlets to avoid the build up of excess positive charge, our bodies need the same ground effect‘.

the effect of grounding

(These two slept like a dream on holiday…)

Think about it…

And so here’s how you go about being intentional about grounding.

‘To work, you must be barefoot and in contact with rock, dirt or water. The beach/ocean is possibly the best place as not only are sand and salt water extremely conductive, but salt water is also very high in magnesium. Perhaps this is why many people seem to sleep better on vacation at the beach!’

There are fancy pants things such as grounding/earthing mats (some that you can sleep on), but I’m yet to see these available here in South Africa. And with the prevalence of beautiful beaches to stroll, mountains to climb, trails to walk, fresh grass to run on – nature all around us – we have no excuse to not be more proactive about getting our feet.on.the.earth.

kids standing on beach

Have you tried grounding and ever noticed the benefits?

A little love for Oh-lief

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body-range-header

My journey to a green(er) lifestyle came in 2012 when my oldest responded incredibly well to a natural skin product (after trying many medical alternatives). So I could completely relate to sisters Christine Buchanan and Louiza Rademan who had the same conviction when it came to Christine’s pregnancy and her little boys birth. We felt like kindred spirits.

After arriving back in SA in 2014, this brand was one of the few I noticed popping up all over the place. And one I was excited to see was locally and hand made in South Africa (Cape Town!), with love.

Their Story

Growing up in a household where green and organic were valued principles, Christine found herself in a predicament while pregnant with Liam, her first baby boy. In her quest to find a skin care range to use during her pregnancy, Christine was dissatisfied with the conventional body products on the market. Not satisfied with using, harmful products, Christine and Louiza set out to develop a new range of natural baby and body products, based on old family recipes.

The result was Oh-lief’s complete range of Natural Body products, made from 100% natural and organic, raw ingredients, sourced locally.

Their Philosophy

“We believe in safe products for babies, toddlers and families, which is why none of our products are harmful to sensitive skin or the environment.”

100 % Natural. 100% Good.

Founded in 2010 by sisters Christine and Louiza, Oh-lief was born out of their love for nature and the desire to use products that would not harm their skin or the environment. (The perfect green combination – rethinking what is truly healthy as well as being environmentally aware).

Oh-lief = REAL Organic Products, Made with Love.

Their name references olive oil, which is the main ingredient found in all their products, as well as their love for all things natural. Their products do not contain any harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances, petroleum, parabens, artificial colours or nut oils. They use a base of organic olive oil and beeswax, which is combined with the natural properties of a number of other organic ingredients to form a complete range of products that is ideal for all skin types. Voila. Fantastic.Oh lief

Overseas I started making a number of my own baby and skin products, based on Wellness Mama’s Baby Care recipes, and so for me the colours, smells and textures of the oh-lief range felt incredibly familiar. Based with olive oil and beeswax (as are mine and many of Wellness Mama’s), the products last a long time. Really, you need such a small amount – it goes far!

So recently I tried two of their Body Range products, The Natural Olive Hand Wax and the Grapefruit & Sweet Orange Natural Body Wash. I love a good body wash and I’m becoming more and more aware of my skin as an organ and what I put onto it, becoming what sinks into it. The body wash has a gentle citrus scent, but is not overpowering. I also love a pump bottle (portion control and all). The hand wax is perfect for dry skin and a very effective moisturizer. The beeswax is also great for strengthening your nails, and the tin is a super addition to your handbag.

Hand-wax-300x271

Psssst: The family sunscreen goes with me everywhere, as does the insect balm. Mozzies drive me insane. 

Personally, as a mom (and as a doula), I feel like this is another one of those great (local) brands, doing great things while using minimal and quality ingredients. If you’re a label watcher – you’ll love these guys.

For more info you can contact them on their website, facebook, twitter or email them on info@ohlief.com.

Images: www.ohlief.com

Battle of the (Dishwashing) Brands

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Even if you have a dishwasher, you no doubt wash a good few dishes in your sink with sunlight liquid each day. But, sunlight liquid – while it has seemingly outplayed many other brands in the dishwashing liquid world – how happy/honest/good is it on your hands, dishes, environment and ultimately your health (with its sneaky little hidden residue sitting on everything you put your food on…)?

Not being a scientist, (and never claiming to be) I don’t have the exact answer, but considering more and more of you wonderful humans are looking into alternatives to use in your homes, I thought I’d take the liberty of doing a little ‘Battle of the (HONEST) Brands’ in my own home, with my own pots and pans, to test out our happy competitors.

Disclaimer: Please note that this was not an audited experiment and I did not have 6 equally bacon-greased pans ready to be washed in 6 different basins of water with the respective dishwashing soaps. I popped the 6 brands on my windowsill and used them each at differing intervals while washing up the seemingly endless amount of dishes that comes with having kids.

Our categories will include: price point, bubble factor, smell, effective clean and overall awesomeness.

(As always, when changing brands, you’d be ignorant to think that by using a different, green brand will give you the exact same experience as your usual brand would. It’s easy to forget, so bear that in mind when you consider changing over. If we are to expect a different outcome (i.e toxic-free/biodegradable) then we need to expect a different user experience). 

Meet our Contestants: 

Dish washing Liquid HR - 2015

1. Better Earth Dishwashing Liquid 
Price Point: R52 for 750ml
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil.
Bubble Factor: 7/10
Smell: 9/10
Effective Clean: 8.5/10
Overall Awesomeness: I LOVE the smell, and love the brand. A number of their products are finalists (and winners) in the Fairlady Best Buy Consumer Awards 2010. Locally made in Muizenberg, I trust this brand. I just get a good vibe. A bit on the pricier side when compared – that’s my only negative.

Better Earth claims: Their products are bio-degradable and do not affect anything else apart from what they are designed to do which is to clean and freshen. They want to give you a cleaning product that works well but is safe for you, your family and the earth, and the beauty of their products is that they are kept simple while still being effective. Better Earth products are free of sulphated surfactants, parabens, animal products, colourants and synthetic fragrance. They are also bio-degradable and are certainly better for the earth than some of your more conventional cleaners.

Dishwashing Liquid

2. Nu Eco Dishwashing Liquid
Price Point: R33 for 750ml
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Peel Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citral, Limonene.
Bubble Factor: 8/10
Smell: 9/10
Effective Clean: 8.5/10
Overall Awesomeness: Made in Durbs, this new brand gets me amped and I’m stoked to see it hitting the shelves of many retailers. I love the story behind how they began and am continually pleasantly surprised by the price and quality of each new Nu Eco product I try.

Nu Eco claims: Cuts through grease and grime, non-polluting to water systems, fresh natural fragrance, kills germs with botanical extracts, contains natural citrus-based, anti-microbial oil.

3. Earthsap Dishwashing Liquid
Price Point: R37 for 750ml
Ingredients: Saponified Vegetable Extract, Citrus Essential Oils, Natural Gum, Water.
Bubble Factor: 8/10
Smell: 7/10
Effective Clean: 8.5/10
Overall Awesomeness: Proudly showing off a ‘2 x normal strength’ sticker, my only disappointment is that I found this liquid rather runny, and so if you’re not careful, you could go through it quite quickly. I love that it says it’s non toxic, biodegradable, safe for kids and gentle on hands. I was impressed.

Earthsap claims: Earthsap products use no dyes, synthetic fragrances, artificial preservatives, phosphates, petrochemicals, chlorine or bleaches, animal or GM ingredients and are never tested on animals. They are non-toxic and 100% biodegradable.

Pure-Simple-Dishwash-Liquid

4. Pure Simple Dishwashing Liquid
Price Point: R46 for 1L
Ingredients: Natural Spring Water, Coconut Oil, Caustic Potash, Citrus Essential Oils.
Bubble Factor: 4/10
Smell: 6/10
Effective Clean: 6/10
Overall Awesomeness: Dubbed by Pure Simple themselves as their ‘problem child’ this soap, was, well… errmmmm not the beeeest. BUT, having said that, it is an excellent heavy duty grease cutter – the pure coconut oil soap emulsifies the oil and/or grease and washes away leaving dishes grease free.

Sandra from Pure Simple suggests you dilute it 50 / 50 with water in a spray bottle and spray directly into greasy roasting pans. Rub with a scrubby sponge and rinse in hot water. This I found very effective. If you are a hardcore ingredient watcher – this is your best bet.

5. Triple Orange Dishwashing Liquid
Price Point: R72 for 500ml
Ingredients: Orange Oil, Coconut Oil, Coconut Extract, Anionic Surfactant & Non-Ionic Surfactant
Bubble Factor: 8/10
Smell: 7.5/10
Effective Clean: 7.5/10 (dishwasher), 8/10 (sink)
Overall Awesomeness: Triple Orange seems to have all of a sudden hit the market with a small yet super effective range of cleaning products boasting everything ORANGE. And as a small family business based in Jozie, well done to them! Their dishwashing soap can be used for both the dishwasher and sink, but I found it more effective in the sink. This was the most expensive competitor in the bunch. Hmph.

TRIPLE ORANGE™ claims: their products are made from the oil extracted from the peel of the orange. The soaps are emulsifiers which contains no synthetic chemicals, petroleum distillates, or alcohol. They are environmentally friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic. They are capable of handling the toughest industrial cleaning problems, but are safe enough to use in the home, around children and animals.

EnviroBlend

6. Greenman’s Enviroblend Dishwashing Liquid
Price Point: R175 for 5L (only sold in 5L and 25L tubs)
Ingredients: Water, Sulphonic Acid (COA), SOD Lauryl Sulphate, Coconut Diethanolamine, SOD Hydroxide (C/Lye), Cocoamidoproyl Betaine, Acticide LA1220, Perfume Lemon Fresh SW0007, Dye T Green.
Bubble Factor: 9/10
Smell: 5/10
Effective Clean: 8.5/10
Overall Awesomeness: I do like Greenman products and use quite a few in my home, and while I’m not a scientist, from my semi-uneducated opinion, this contestant seems to be the one with a number of ingredients which I’d usually find in store bought products. This soap looks and feels like good old Sunlight (it has a green dye unlike any others). I queried the SOD Lauryl Sulphate with my friend at Greenman and he sent the following link for those who might be concerned about it too. Regardless of my hesitancy, I do like it, it is the most affordable and it certainly works.

Greenman claims: their products are Non Toxic, Non Corrosive, Non Caustic, Non Flammable and Non Explosive, As well as being Readily Biodegradable, Carcinogen Free, Plant Based, Dioxane Free, Ethylene Oxide Free and Bleach Free.

Conclusion: I expected to be comparing apples with apples but that didn’t seem to be the case.

For instance, your Pure Simple, while not offering the easiest wash, has the fewest ingredients – which to some, means the most. Your Greenman on the other hand, I initially felt uneasy about the SOD Lauryl Sulphate (and think the DYE is needless), it does provide you with a more natural option for the committed Sunlight Soap lover.

Surprisingly, my top choices are Earthsap and Nu-Eco, with Better Earth trailing ever so slightly just behind them. Better Earth also comes in a 5L which is handy to have on hand and uses less packaging (using it to refill the original 750ml bottle).

One more simple change you can make to your home. Now it’s your turn to try one…

Image credit: www.brayandscarff.com.

Spring Cleaning with Better Earth & GIVEAWAY!

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So, I presume you’re all done with your spring cleaning right? Wait… No?

Well if you haven’t started (and we’re almost mid way through Spring) then don’t feel bad. Neither have I, which is strange because I love cleaning… when I’m in the mood. I think maybe it is because I haven’t had the right goodies in my hands and I’m not up for making my own cleaning products quite yet. I’m trying my hand at making things slowly, and well… I’m sure I’ll get to the bicarb of soda/lemon juice/vinegar mix soon enough, but for now I’m going with local, trusted well known brands, such as Better Earth, a homegrown family company based in Muizenberg.

Better-Earth

A while back I read a post by Wellness Mama stating that our homes are often our most toxic environments. It stuck with me.

Two experts Leslie Reichert, author of “Joy of Green Cleaning,” and Sara Snow, author of “Sara Snow’s Fresh Living,” share the reasons why people should make the switch to green cleaning products.

1. Healthier Home
If you go green, “No longer will there be chemicals absorbed into the skin or breathed in by the person cleaning,” Reichert says. Health benefits extend to family members who are no longer breathing in cleaners lingering in the air and sitting on surfaces. Studies have shown that using a household cleaning spray, even as little as once a week, raises the risk of developing asthma. Snow says that using green cleaning products can reduce the chances of developing asthma, which “today is the most common chronic illness and the leading cause of school absences due to chronic illness across the country.”

2. Purer Environment
When you use many cleaning products, “harmful chemicals are being released into the environment,” says Reichert. Not great for you and the people around you to breathe in. Changing to greener methods, “helps reduce pollution to our waterways and the air and it minimizes your impact on ozone depletion and global climate change with fewer smog-producing chemicals,” advises Snow. Many green products also use recyclable packaging which minimizes waste.

3. Safer Products
Conventional cleaning products pose risks such as chemical burns to the cleaner’s skin and eyes. Green cleaners aren’t corrosive and meet strict standards regarding inhalation toxicity, combustibility and skin absorption.

4. Better Air Quality
As with most people, Snow can’t stand the “stench of strong chemical odours.” Many green cleaning products — including store bought and ones you can make at home — include pleasant natural essential oils. Reichert even refers to cleaning with these products as her “aromatherapy.”

5. Less Expensive
“For home cleaning, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, etc. can do the trick for pennies on the dollar, compared to buying conventional cleaning products,” Snow says. Why go out and buy products when you can use things you already have in your pantry?

As I said previously, I’m not at the point of making my own cleaning goodies yet (and I know many of you feel the same way) and I have zero conviction about it because there are a number of really good brands on the shelves that are not bank-breaking and which work really well.

Kerry, the brains behind Better Earth is a lover of all things natural – including what is safest for ourselves and our environment. “I’m passionate about making sure that what we use in our homes for cleaning has the least possible effect on water and the environment down the line.” Better Earth’s products are free of ethoxylated ingredients, sulphated surfactants, parabens, animal products, colourants and synthetic fragrance. The products are kept simple while still being effective, and are never tested on animals. Music to my ears.

Recently I tried out three of her popular products, the Better Earth Laundry Gel with Fabric Conditioner (Fairlady Consumer Awards Finalist 2012), Better Earth Bathroom and Toilet Cleaner (Fairlady Consumer Awards Finalist 2011) and the Better Earth Natural Cleaning Spray (a fantastic gentle cleaner you can use on just about anything).


I loved using these products. They smell amazing, are fresh, they look great and simply put – they are a fantastic (and necessary) addition to my home. I love that I can be confident knowing my kids can lick the syrup off the floor, suck the bovril drops off their clothing and that my now toilet-trained-toddler (can I hear an AMEN!) can safely touch, climb on and wiggle all over the toilet.

Keen to try these products in your home? I thought so. Well lucky for you, Better Earth and Our Greenish Life are giving each of them to one lucky reader! This prize is valued at over R200!

Enter here:

  • Like Our Greenish Life on Facebook
  • Share the competition on Facebook
  • Tell us in the comments below: If you chose to go green with one cleaning product, which one would it be? (i.e Toilet and Bathroom/Dishashing Liquid etc.)
  • Tag a friend for an extra entry.

Thanks for entering. Good Luck!

Contact Better Earth
Tel: +27 (0)72 662 2107
Fax: +27 (0)86 612 6911
email: info@betterearth.co.za

Terms and Conditions

The competition runs from Saturday 17 October – Monday 26 October 2015.
This competition is open to Cape Town residents only.
The winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email.
Winner will be announced on the Our Greenish Life website and social media channels on Monday 26 October.

Featured Pic Credit: imgkid.com

THIS COMPETITION IS CLOSED. Congrats to Valerie Duffield Anderson who won this awesome compo.

The Purest of Beginnings

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It feels like we went overseas, came back, and everything was different. BOS iced tea is like the new ‘it’ drink and is available in every corner cafe and, much to my delight, Pure Beginnings Organic Skincare is available… every-where!

Having been attacked by mozzies upon our return to SA in mid-summer, I sent my hubby out to find a natural mozzie repellent, and voia la – we were officially introduced to the Pure Beginnings brand.

PB Insect repellant

As with all reviews, there is a plethora of overly-shmoozy things I could say about Pure Beginnings. I could say I love them because they’re EcoCert certified (so they cannot include any baddies such as propylene glycol/PPG/PEG, petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, sulphated surfactants (SLS/SLES), DEA (Diethanolamine) / TEA (trethanolamine), phthalathes, DEP, DBP, DEHP, aluminium, fluoride, synthetic colourants & fragrances) or because they support African Communities and Biodiversity Conservation through fair trade and ethical sourcing (I love ethical). I could also say I love them because they use recyclable packaging and use only ingredients that are biodegradable and are approved by the Vegan Society, Beauty without Cruelty and Phytotrade Africa. It could also be because they have a good understanding of healthy (vs. bad) bacteria and consider optimising the beneficial bacteria in ones ‘body-ecosystem’. It really could be because of any of the above, right? Pssst… I like this last healthy bacteria bit in particular and it’s why I drink kombucha.

PB Eco Cert Certified

Buuuut, let’s pretend I didn’t say any of the above. I met them. In the flesh. So you can take my gushyness of Pure Beginnings to heart. They are RAD, they are trying to find better ways of doing things for you and your family, and they care.

Pure Beginnings genuinely believes in keeping your skin as pure as the day you were born by creating high quality, effective, organic skin care products that care for you and your family’s skin (and that are not harmful to the environment). Again, if you’ve read the post on why we cloth diaper, you’ll know this ‘skin as pure as the day you were born’ stuff was where I had my ah’ha moment, which has since changed everything.

Bum Cream

Pure Beginnings started out in 2007 with their focus being specifically Organic Baby and Organic Kids ranges and has since, expanded into a skin care brand for the whole family. Do I hear a ‘hoorah’? Since then Pure Beginnings has been the leading and most trusted baby and kids organic skin care brand in South Africa. Over these past 8 years, this family owned and run business has worked closely with mothers, midwives and child birth educators (and doulas!!) to develop a skin care range that meets the needs of babies and kids using the purest and safest natural and organic ingredients.

Surely you’ve seen these gorgeous products with the super adorbs child friendly characters…

Ollie the Owl

Max and Minky

…looky here! There’s a new addition to the troop (more info coming soon!)

Ruby the Rhino

The ranges are comprehensive. And there is a product for preeeeetty much everything you need. (I even used the baby bum cream to moisturize my dry, sniffly nose this winter)…

Organic Baby Care Range:

Within the Organic Baby Care range you’ll find: Baby Bum Cream, Berry Toothpaste, Bamboo Baby Wipes, Natural Aqueous Cream, Baby Lotion, Baby Wash & Shampoo, Teething Gel, 100% Natural Insect Repellent and a gorgeous Organic Baby Gift Set.

PB organic Baby care

My faves: No doubt the Berry Toothpaste is on my shopping list about once a month (my little one looooves teeth-brushing time!!). The Baby Wipes are fantastic and are my backup in case I run out of my homemade wipes. The Teething Gel sits on my night stand in case bubs gets fussy in the night. We also love the Bum Cream and the Insect Repellent. (The stick container makes it so easy to apply) .

Organic Kids Range:

Within the Organic Kids Care range you’ll find: Fun Time Bubble Bath, Fun Time Kids Wash, Kids Hygiene Hand Wash, Vanilla Mint Toothpaste and 100% Natural Insect Repellent.

My faves: The Bubble Bath is just the best (ask my kids!), as well as the toothpaste (again, we don’t have to fight over teeth-brushing time).

Organic Care Range:

And in the Organic (Family) Care range you’ll find: Deodorant, Shampoo and Conditioner, Shaving Cream, Body Lotion, Body Wash and Fresh Mint Toothpaste (and of course… the good old trusty insect repellent).

My faves: Fresh Mint Toothpaste! While my hubby is not sold on my homemade kind, this is what he always asks for. My dad also loves the shaving cream!

Pure Beginnings Body Wash

Please. Do yourself and your family a favour and get onto the Pure Beginnings bandwagon. You can find all of their stockists here (there are HEAPS so no excuses), and take a peek at the latest news on their blog, facebook and twitter pages. Prices of products range from R35 – R115, and it’s money well spent.

Whether we think about it all that much, we vote with our money. Just like the food we eat either helps or harms us, how we spend our money directly influences which companies thrive and which suffer. Let’s please choose WISELY as to how we spend our money and support local businesses. Let’s join together and support those who are making it easier for us to care for our families and for our environment.

Homemade Deodorant

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It gives me great joy to see in our shower currently: honest shampoo and conditioner, pure castile body soap, a homemade face scrub, a coconut body scrub and a natural face wash. I’m slowly but surely swapping out the old and bringing in happy, honest and more natural replacements – slowly, one at a time, in a sustainable manner. Let’s.not.get.crazy.

Something I’ve been meaning to try my hand at for a while is homemade deodorant, but it’s never been at the top of my priority list. Maybe that’s because I’m a mum and I’m more concern about cloth diapering and making the gazillionth batch of homemade wipes, and buying cherry tomatoes by the bucket load (are your kids also popping cherry tomatoes like sweets?)… and and and.

Our underarms (and what we smear on them) are frighteningly close to our breasts. My mom has had breast cancer, and I have previously found lumps (which turned out to be cysts), and it’s scary. You don’t need to be a scientist to see how much awful stuff makes up your sweet watermelon smelling roll on (which, I’ll be honest, at one time I was a little obsessed with). Most deodorants and anti-perspirants contain aluminum, parabens and propylene glycol. WAIT! There is ALUMINIUM in your deo?!? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???

I was inspired when a friend said she’d made a batch and was super impressed with it, so I grabbed a quick moment once the kids were in bed (and after my delicious SOiL shea butter order had arrived) and I got to it. I’d looked at a number of recipes and Homemaker Chic‘s deo sounded seriously convincing. It’s easy as, and quick! Tricky and tedious don’t work for me.

We all sweat, and it can smell. It’s normal. But I’ve noticed, when I’m breastfeeding, I perspire like Federer playing Djokovic and it STINKS. So, this deo needed to be right up there with the best of the best. And it is. Oh man. This is the truth peeps. I absolutely CANNOT smell my underarms, no matter how far into my pits I can get my nose.

Taking Homemaker Chic‘s recipe as my foundation, I made a couple changes, and this is what it came out with…

Ingredients: 

  • 1/4 cup bicarb of soda
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
  • 3 Tbsp (organic) coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 Tbsp (organic) shea butter
  • 10-15 drops tea tree essential oil (or any other EE you’d prefer)
  • Small jar or empty deodorant tube stick

Method:

In a double boiler (or in a glass jug placed in a pot of boiling water), melt the shea butter.

Once the shea butter is melted, add your coconut oil, and your essential oil of choice. You can really use any scent you like – do your research on the properties of certain oils. Some people like to use tea tree oil in their recipes for its anti-fungal properties. Get creative and go wild!

Once your oils are blended add in the icing sugar. The purpose of the icing sugar is that when the sugar combines with your natural body sweat it creates a sort of osmotic substance that then becomes a natural antiperspirant! Madness. I mean what’s not to love about sugar (besides the obvious). I do find that I still sweat a bit, but not excessively. Dissolve the sugar using a small whisk.

Keeping the mixture over the heat, begin stirring in the bicarb of soda, and arrowroot powder, adding it slowly. You will see it start to thicken.

Once everything is well incorporated, you can pour the mix into either the jar or a deodorant stick (I haven’t tried a deo stick – but I think I will try one as I get more daring). Allow it to set up at room temperature for a couple hours. I poured my deodorant into a small mason jar. With the jar you just have to spread about half a fingertip amount of the deodorant on your underarms. It might seem a little firm at first, so you might want to soften it between your fingers before applying but mine sort-of melts onto my skin. Voila!

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And there you have it! Happy, honest, homemade deo. Who would have thought! Let me know if you’ve tried something similar and how it worked out for you…

x

The GLÜKi Life

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I am an optimistic person by nature. A typical number 7 on the enneagram. Naturally, I over-commit myself to making absolutely everything I do full of adventure, excitement and fun – a life in full colour (aaaaand a little exhausting for my hubby and kids).

For instance, if we’re going to the beach, we neeeeeeeeeeed (as my toddler would say) an ice cream. If we’re going on a road trip, we simply must get coffees on the way. Camping trips require s’mores and I can’t go past a till check out without trying the new flavour of tic-tacs.

And so you can imagine my pure delight when I came across this range of organic skincare – GLÜKi Organics. As you may already know, names are a pretty big deal in our family (you can read the post on naming our second born here) and so if GLÜKi was a person, no doubt we’d be besties.

GLÜKi Baby – Happy Baby

Origins of the name GLÜKi, loosely derived from:

• South African Afrikaans – geluk (“happy”)
gelukkige verjaarsdag (“happy birthday”)
• Middle English – luk, lukke (“good luck”)
• Dutch – geluk (“happiness”)
• Yiddish – glick (“blessing / happiness”)
• Danish – lykke (“good luck”)
• Low German – luk (“good fortune”)
• German – glück (“happy”)
• Swedish – lycka (“good luck”)

GLÜKi Organics is an uncompromised high quality plant-based product range that meets a loving mother’s need for her baby. They take immense pride in the therapeutic value of each ingredient in their products.


GLÜKi uses a range of organic and natural ingredients such as mafura butter, aloe vera leaf extract, baobab powder, marula oil, shea butter, kalahari melon (one of my faves) and organic rooibos. No nonsense. I like.

So, bearing in mind I’m a number 7 and want all things fuller, bigger, more playful and joyous, you can imagine how satisfying it was to add GLÜKi to all areas of my life. It was like gleefully sprinkling glitter all over every room… without the clean up.

The range is attractive and beautifully designed. After browsing through it all, I gave the nipple cream and travel pack to a brand new mum-friend (how handy for her diaper bag?), and I threw the hand and body lotion straight into my handbag (and I smother it on like it’s nobody’s business). Honestly, sometimes before meetings, appointments or seeing friends, I like to rub it all over myself in the hope that they will recognize it as, you know, ‘my smell’. You know those friends who always smell good, and have a particular smell? Well that’s what I was going for. It really is that good.

The organic baby shampoo, baby body wash and bedtime bubble bath were delegated to the bathroom, and our changing table thought it was Christmas with the addition of the organic baby moisturizing lotion, oil gel, bum cream and baby powder. Like I said, goodness every-where.

My favourite product in the baby range is the bum cream. It is appropriately thicker than the rest of the range. Often I find thin bum cream gets messy and you end up slapping it (and therefore wasting it) all over your little ones tush, whereas this stays put and does what it needs to do: it nourishes, protects the skin, reduces chafe, and prevents rashes and irritation.

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The GLÜKi team have written a wonderful post about how to care for your newborns skin. It includes the benefits of touch and baby massage, not overdoing bath time and how to feed your baby’s skin naturally. All of which I’m a huge advocate of.

I absolutely LOVE the smell of this range as you would have noted by my wishing people thought of it as ‘my smell’. To me, it smells like marshmallows (the nice, not sickly sweet, but the mature, refreshing and clean kind – if you can imagine such a marshmallow). This product to a baby’s skin is like a weeks trip to Indigo Fields for an adult. Have you been to Indigo Fields?

GLÜKi Organics is manufactured here in our very own beautiful South Africa and is EcoCert certified. GLÜKi is also an accredited partner of Phytotrade Africa, endorsed by Beauty without Cruelty and their ingredients Vegan. Have a peek at their extensive range of stockists online.

Preparing for Paleo

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Yesterday afternoon I popped into Food Lovers for some liquorice (it’s a problem) and I ended up with enough veggies to last me all of Paleo With Me Aug – okay, not really, but it sure felt like it. As I was meandering down the aisles I was remembering recipes, snacks, flavours and tips from my previous paleo experiences and was mentally preparing as I went (all the while enjoying my liquorice).

This over-shop resulted in an evening of butternut soup making, banana chip dehydrating and coriander pesto blending (without the parmesan).

One step is ESSENTIAL (read: E-SS-EN-TIAL) to starting strong, enjoying and succeeding at your month of Whole30/paleo eating, and it’s this: PREPARATION.

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Mentally: You need to be mentally prepared. It’s like running a race. I believe, up until a week or two before a race it’s ALL about mental prep – you can’t squeeze any more running into the last 2 weeks before a race. You gotta click into gear mentally. I’d encourage you to read, read, read. Read about how Whole30 started here.  Read through recipes and shopping lists and chat to people who have done this before. Get into the zone, understand what you can and cannot eat and why, plan dinner parties and family celebrations from September onwards. Create a Paleo board on Pinterest and pin your favourite recipes so you can go back to them time and time again. Get your brain in the game.

Here are my recommendations of where to read up on all things Paleo:

– Whole30 and their book ‘It Starts with Food‘ (read the entire website)
– The Clothes Make the Girl, and her books ‘Well Fed‘
– Paleo Grubs
– Stupid Easy Paleo
– NomNom Paleo

Emotionally: Understand this will require a lot of self control. You’ll need to make tough choices. You’ll have to say no to a lot of delicious food that comes past your face. But its for 30 days (well, 31 really, since we’re doing this in August). You’ll have to be brave, and courageous, and you will succeed if you want this enough. Want it enough.

As they say on the Whole30 website: ‘It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You’ve done harder things than this, and you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime’.

Practically: GO SHOPPING! Make your shopping list and go for it. Find some easy recipes and buy in bulk. Accept now, that you’ll need to take multiple trips to your fresh produce grocer every week. In my experience, the hardest part of Whole30 is feeling peckish (or downright starving) and scratching through your pantry with nothing to eat. Buy raw nuts, free range eggs, cherry tomatoes, avos and orange sweet potatoes in bulk.

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Once you have what you need in your pantry, prepare your kitchen. Remove all bad food and get cooking. Make soup and freeze it, boil eggs and have them ready to grab on the go, make beet humus and chop up crudités. Blend up almonds and make almond butter to eat with sliced apple, make homemade beef patties and pop them in the freezer, grate sweet potatoes and blend up cauliflower. Make paleo mayonnaise and salad dressing. Chop up fruits and veg and pack them in smoothie bags. Dehydrate apples and banana slices and have them on hand for when you need a nibble. Have your kitchen loaded with easy to grab and delicious paleo friendly foods.

Beet Humus

Make the time to prepare. It is vital. Take leave from work if you have to, give your kids extra iPad time, feed leftover ice cream to your husband or wife while you make homemade cashew butter and chicken stock.

If you’re prepared, not only will Whole30 change your life, but it will be remarkably easier and really, rather enjoyable.

(As always with this Paleo With Me August, please post additions tips, thoughts and any questions you might have below). 

A Natural Health Kick

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Thinking back now, it is bizarre how life has led me to this point of valuing wellness in a new, more natural light.

Back in 2008, I randomly worked for a Health and Wellness company and saw some pretty incredible things. I was (and still am) completely convinced by how important healthy food and correct supplementation (if necessary) can be, along with rethinking simply jumping into medicine and how natural approaches can absolutely change lives. Not only did I see fairly sick people become well, but I saw healthy people flourish. I have the utmost respect for medical science and am constantly amazed by the breakthroughs happening in that realm, but when it comes down to what we mere non-doctors can do, I’ll opt for the natural until intelligently instructed otherwise.

So my boss back in the day had this magic potion he used to make when he started feeling sick. Recently I shared this little gem with a colleague of mine who was starting to feel under the weather and she bounced back almost instantaneously. I had forgotten how effective it could be, and now with winter upon us and new bugs coming home from play school, I’m stocking up on these 4 very simple and easy to find ingredients:

– honey (as local and natural as you can find)
– fresh garlic (crushed)
– fresh ginger (crushed, or cut up as finely)
– brandy (preferably not for kiddies)

Garlic & Ginger (foodathonindia.blogspot.com)

All you do is mix equal portions of the above together to make a paste. Yes, its gross, and yes, you will smell of garlic, and you do need to throw this towards the back of your mouth and try swallow it without gagging, but it works. I consider it a healthy dose of a natural antibiotic. Do this as often as you need to, when feeling a bit gross.

lemon hot water www.med-health.net

As far as drinks go, there’s always the good old HOT TODDY: Honey, ginger and lemon in a cup of hot water, or you can add crushed ginger to hot water for a sore throat. No brainer.

I keep all of the above at the office and at home. While I can easily consume a roll of cheery flavoured Halls lozenges in one go, it won’t do half the work that those 4 beautiful natural gifts can provide.

Wishing you a warm, safe and bug-free winter.

xxx