10 Things You May Not Know About Your MAKEUP - Via AfterGlow Cosmetics

I've been looking into organic makeup lately. I've gotten a few e-mails from different companies and I really thought this one from Afterglow Cosmetics was very enlightening and thought I would share. Even us mamas want to make sure we are looking good while still being good to our bodies sometimes. ;)

10 Things you may not know about your MAKEUP from Afterglow Cosmetics:

"1. The US FDA does not regulate the cosmetic industry.

2. The EU has banned approximately 1,100 ingredients found in personal care products, while the US has only banned 10 ingredients.

3. Due to the lack of regulation in the USA, the words "natural," "pure," and "organic" do not guarantee the products have these characteristics.

4. Cosmetic companies are now manufacturing products with particle sizes so small ("micronized" and "nano" sized) they can penetrate the layers of your skin and settle into the fatty tissues of your body.

5. The average woman ingests an average of four pounds of lipstick over a lifetime.

6. Most mineral makeup contains an ingredient called Bismuth Oxychloride, which is a bio-cumulative metal and a well known irritant to the skin.

7.The most toxic cosmetic product is mascara; this product may contain mercury.

8. Many makeup products, including lipstick, contain the ingredient carmine, which is a bright red pigment obtained from the exoskeleton of a beetle.

9. Many cosmetic products contain parabens. Parabens are broad-band preservatives which have been found in breast cancer tumors during research biopsies.

10. Resources like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the EWG’s Skin Deep Database can help you make more informed purchasing decisions. You have the power to "shop your cosmetic label" and green your makeup routine!"

Non-medicated Headache Relief

Welp, we've all been there. It's the middle of the day and, not only have I completely forgotten to eat or drink anything; somehow I've completely forgotten COFFEE! (Sweet nectar of life, how could I ever forget you?) And now I've got a headache that is borderline migraine. Not only that, baby is running around demanding my attention. THANK GOD FOR NAP TIME!

I have now eaten and filled myself with plenty of water. As I finally get some coffee in me and gulp it down as fast as I can, I am realizing this headache has spread. It's all over inside my head; front and back. It's in my neck, it's down my spine. Seriously... without nap time, how would I keep my sanity?

I have been doing my best to avoid typical medications for anything lately. After the constant recalls on baby Motrin lately, I've been avoiding it for my sweet baby Rosie as well. I've also been reading up on some terrible things that Ibuprofen and Tylenol can also do to you when taken long term.

So, I scoured through my basket of home remedy goodies and thought I would share a little headache relief with you.

What you'll need:

Cotton balls
Peppermint Oil
Eucalyptus Oil
Jojoba Oil

Oh look! Dark lighting! God bless that natural, dim light and curtains during headache time. Right?

In the order listed above, put a few drops of everything on the cotton ball. Finishing up with the Jojoba Oil gives sort of a diluted buffer between the oil and direct skin contact. You don't wanna overdo it.

Rub that cotton ball on your temples and forehead (as tempting as it is, do not rub it in or too close to your eyes... trust me, you'll feel like it is in your eyes already). I like to put a little behind my ears as well.

Let the minty delight fill your senses! You'll feel the mint everywhere, when you open your eyes and when you breathe it in. Feels SO wonderful. Depending on your size headache, it will make it seem to disappear completely OR just for a little while. If it is a really stubborn headache, just re-apply after a little while for continued relief.

I recently came across a recipe for a headache relief balm. Once I get the ingredients, I will post it. It's just not the easiest to come across local, organic honey pellets apparently. Once I get my hands on some, I'm soooo going to balm it up with all sorts of fun things.

I hope this post brings you relief. If it has, please let me know in the comments below. <3

Reasons I Love Cloth Diapering

1. It is a zillion times better for the environment.

2. It is a zillion times better for my wallet. (As long as you don't get too obsessed with having all of the adorable and fancy styles and prints and accessories. It's okay to be a little obsessed, though.)

3. It keeps me from going to Target every few weeks to re-stock on disposable diapers and disposable wipes; thus forcing me to LOOK INTO THE EYE of the Target and end up spending all of my money on things that I end up, later, trying to convince my husband were "necessities". ("But, I neeeeeded that mascara! I'm completely out! You don't want me looking like a depressed, frumpy mother who ultimately loses all of her self-esteem just because she couldn't get herself a little wand of mascara once in a while, do you?")

(I know most of you know exactly what I'm talking about.)



What are your reasons for loving cloth diapering?

The Future

Being a parent seems like it brings a certain "adult" out of me that I knew was always there, but never thought I would actually obtain or become. It's like I always thought there was this other woman in me; this mother figure that I just thought lived another life in another parallel world and that I would meet her somewhere way in the future. ...Almost like a dream that I would never fully get a chance to grasp.

I almost assumed I would stay a teenager forever. Something that you don't really realize is that, when it comes to being a parent, you have the chance to actually become older and younger at the same time. You age and mature so that you can find a way to nurture and raise a child (or children) in the way that they should go. But, you also have to sort of become like them in order for them to understand you and be able to communicate with you... if that makes sense.

It's amazing to see our daughter grow. She is a year and a half now and I find myself becoming more like a child and more of an adult now more than I ever imagined before. It's such a strange juxtaposition and I LOVE IT.

Every single day I am still afraid that I will be a terrible mother. What I've only just now realized is that being afraid of being a terrible mother is what actually makes me a good mother. I'm constantly striving to do what's right. Not just for my daughter, but also for myself and for the people around me. You see, when you're raising a child, you're not only raising one little person, you're raising the future. That life will affect so many other lives. You, as a parent, ARE CHANGING THE WORLD. That's what makes me so afraid to be a terrible mother. I don't want to ruin the world.

However, if I keep trying, keep struggling, keep reaching for greatness, I know I will attain it. I know my daughter will see in me what I try so hard to instill in her. I pray every day that she chooses to grow in wisdom and that she also strives to make the world a better place. Let that be your prayer, too. Don't just tell your children how to grow, live, and act. BE the better person you hope they become one day. Because they WILL become that person one day. I know that I still have a long way to go. But, I will keep on trying my best so that the future will also be a better place. :)

Can Marshmallows Soothe A Sore Throat?

I came across some info recently about marshmallows soothing a sore throat. So, I did my own research on the matter. What I found was quite interesting!

Medically, here's where the original idea for marshmallows soothing a sore throat comes from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-364280/Sore-throat-Have-marshmallow.html

{photo credit filmcow.com}

So, what does this mean for regular marshmallows? Well, turns out, they might still be able to soothe a sore throat even though they no longer have any actual marshmallow root in them. Here's where I found my info: http://www.greenideareviews.com/2012/09/12/eating-marshmallows-to-soothe-a-sore-throat-review-does-it-work/

Just like the woman in the link above, I tried some marshmallows when I had a terrible sore throat earlier this week. My conclusion?

This unlikely remedy ACTUALLY WORKS! It only works for a few minutes at a time. But, it's well worth enjoying just those few minutes. I will say that I tried to avoid eating too many marshmallows. I used them only when my throat was in intense pain. But, it definitely eased my pain, made it bearable to talk, and made it bearable to swallow in general.

Have you ever tried this method of sore throat relief before?

The Difference Between Plant-Based and Synthetic Vitamins

When I was pregnant, all of the doctor visits and blood-work done finally let me in on the fact that I have a few different types of vitamin deficiencies. I needed to start taking certain vitamins to help bring up what I was lacking. A few of my doctors told me what vitamins to take. But, one specific doctor made it clear that I needed to make sure that the vitamins I take are plant-based and NOT synthetic.

{Photo credit to globalhealingcenter.com}

Synthetic vitamins? I never realized there was such a thing. After doing some research on the subject, turns out, synthetic vitamins are much more widely used than one might assume. Synthetic vitamins aren't completely useless, but, they don't always do what you think they're supposed to be doing, either.

Plant-based vitamins are the real deal. They'll give your body exactly what it's looking for; the way God intended. Meanwhile, synthetic vitamins include things that your body was never meant to absorb.

Here's a GREAT article explaining the difference between plant-based vitamins and synthetic vitamins. It explains why synthetic vitamins aren't good for you and how to know what to look for when you're vitamin shopping. It also gives a detailed list of what to avoid and why.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/synthetic-vs-natural-vitamins/

I'm putting links for one of the main plant-based multivitamins that I use down below. I actually use their prenatal since I'm still breastfeeding. But, I'll add the multivitamin for men and for women as well. I hope this was helpful and enlightening. I just believe that we should be doing what's best for our bodies when we can. (Now, if I could just keep this in mind every time I bake a batch of delicious cookies or brownies.)

Biggest Kid Stuff Recalls Of 2012

A friend of mine shared this with us (when I say "us", I mean a group of about 45 moms who all had their babies in or around March 2012). It's from Parents.com. The Biggest Toy, Gear, and Clothing Recalls of 2012. I thought I would share it for any other parents out there who haven't seen it yet. I also owned a Bumbo seat and the baby bather (which ranked numbers 1 and 2 on the list).

But, mostly, be aware that these recalls tend to be more from consumer neglect, in my opinion. Just the same, it's good to know if you own any of these so that you can fix them, get rid of them, or learn how to use them properly to keep your little ones as safe as possible.

Here's the link to the Parents.com posting: http://www.parents.com/product-recalls/biggest-recalls-of-the-year/?sssdmh=dm17.637848&esrc=nwpmmdailytip121712

Photo credit: Bumbo.com