Update on Earth Family

  

  

The Earth family has been living in Colorado for almost six months now. We have enjoyed our journey together so far. We have hiked, walked, explored, and adventured out in this part of Colorado. We all have our favorite spots in town. Baby Earthling really loves the Donuts at a local bakery, and has almost visited every park/playground in Durango. Earth dad loves spending time at the Fish Hatchery feeding the fish with Baby E. As for me, I really enjoy my time at the library. I have expanded my knowledge in homesteading, Food forests, photography, disney movies,holistic healing, aromatherapy, and how to let my inner wild woman be apart of my everyday living. 

Earth Dad is rocking at his new job and loving every minute of it. It is exciting to see him after a shift and hearing about his adventures in the backcountry.  Eight days is a long time to have no contact with a loved one, especially with a toddler running around but those six days of no interruption are magical. Having a great support system for each other is the only way this kind of lifestyle works. He is loving what he is doing and really making a difference in these young kids lives. 

Baby E. is growing way too fast. She is now using words and understanding the meaning of them. 

Thank you 

Please

Ball

Bunny

Dog

Kitty

Cookie

Water

No

Cheese 

Mommy

Momma

Ma (Yes, they all mean something different) 

Daddy 

Poppy 

Here you go

All done 

More 

Choo  Choo 

and Giggle giggle (what she says when she tickles you) 

Just to name a few. 

Anything we can do outdoors, she is on board with. She is quite the little hiker, and gets too close to the edge for this momma's liking. I see more and more of her dad's personality as she grows. She keeps this momma busy while dad is away, but I am loving every minute of our time together.

On the next post from Earth momma, I will be talking about natural ways of keeping sickness away or getting rid of sickness if it has found itself in your home! 

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Little Earth family and I took our first road trip to Durango, Colorado. Not only was I excited to venture off with my two favorite people, but I was also excited to meet new faces who had the same passions in life as our family does. Baby Earthling and I got the chance to roam the city, while Earth Dad took a Wilderness First Response course (Which he passed! so proud!)

Baby E. is such a social butterfly. We went on a stroll one afternoon and landed right in front of the public library.They had a story time reading for her age group, not that she listened to The Velveteen Rabbit, she was more interested in the little ones around her and making new friends. I love her little language and hand gestures right now. She is so serious about what she is saying. It made it so easy for me to meet new moms and to open conversation about their outlooks on life.

On our last day in town, Earth Dad and I found this neat little store called Dancing Willow Herbs. DWH is a herbal apothecary that offers the widest selection of organically grown herbs and herbal products I have ever seen. If you haven't checked out aromatherapy and what it can do for your health, then please keep reading!

What is Aromatherapy?

 Aromatherapy is derived from the ancient practice of using natural plant essence to promote health and well being. It consists of using the purest essential oils obtained from a wide assortment of plants, which have been steam distilled or cold-pressed from flowers, fruit, bark and roots.

Benefits of Aromatherapy-The Mind

Essential oils stimulate the part of the Brain that affects emotion. When stimulated, the limbic system releases chemicals that affect the central nervous system. Serotonin counteracts anxiety; endorphins reduce pain and affect sexual response.

The Body

 Essential oils are quickly absorbed through our skin. They travel around individual cells and into hair follicles, where the oils enter the sebaceous glands and mingle with the skin's natural emollients(A process that softens the skin). The chemical properties of the oils can be cleansing, deodorizing, toning, or balancing.

The Spirit

If you are a spiritual person, A diffused aroma of oils creates a magical or mysterious presence in the room, that lingers away like a prayer or a wish. It has been an adjunct with meditation and prayer for centuries.

Essential oils unique properties enhance the mind, body and spirit. Aromatherapy is the creative and scientific application of essential oils to create beneficial changes in our lives on aesthetic, therapeutic and mystical levels.

How to Use Essential Oils.

 There are three traditional uses of Essential Oils in Aromatherapy: Inhalation, Topical Application, and Ingestion.

Inhalation
A few drops on a handkerchief will do the trick. If you are stressed, try scents like Lavender or Chamomile. If you need a quick pick me up, try peppermint. It will give you the burst of energy you need to get thru the rest of your day!

Topical Application.
If you do it this way, make sure you dilute it with water before putting it on your skin. Most oils are very strong and will irritate the skin. Lavender Oil is the exception. I use Lavender straight onto Baby E. gums while she is teething. It naturally numbs the gums without slowing the process down like teething gels or Tylenol does. Just a few drops into water, and then apply to your skin.

Ingestion
Most Oils have recommended doses on the back of the bottle when you want to ingest the Oils. Most are 20-60 drops twice a day either in water or Juice. I have started taking this Skin Care Oils to help with my complexion, and I can already see a change in my body pushing all of the toxins out of my skin. The oil is a little strong tasting, so I mix it with my Elderberry water in the morning and at night.

Have any questions, ask! I would be happy to help with this new journey!

Raw Makeup is still going great!! I don't miss the regular makeup at all. Beets are probably my favorite. Not only does it look normal, it is making my skin feel great!

That's all from Earth Momma. Now that things of slowed down for me, I will have a chance to post more often!

Websites to check out.
http://www.durangopubliclibrary.org/

http://dancingwillowherbs.com/

Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.- Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I educate myself on healthy living, I realize that there is more to it than just what I am eating. I assumed when I changed my diet, my skin would clear and look just as healthy as I am feeling on the inside. Little did I know, my makeup bag is working against me. I had a really hard time with the concept of giving up my entire bag of cosmetics, but I want the feeling of being healthy inside and out. 


Food for Makeup? I wanted to try something that wasn't expensive, but worked. Since we are growing a big garden this year, I thought maybe there might be certain foods we could grow and I could also use on my skin. As I dug deeper into the search, I found people actually use food as an alternative to cosmetics. I am extremely excited to share these easy tips with you and hopefully some of you will give it a try!

Moisturizer

• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Most moisturizer found in stores have  petroleum-based ingredients that can suffocate your skin. Coconut Oil is composed of these medium-length fatty acids that help strengthen tissue and removes any dead skin cells that give you the rough texture of skin. I use about a dime size for my face. 

Loose Powder. 

• Arrowroot Powder is going to be the base for your powder. This is a starch from the rootstock of several tropical plants. 
• Next you will combine  Cacao powder and a bit of finely ground cinnamon. Keep combining these two to the Arrowroot powder until you get the matching of your skin tone. 

Cacao Powder is my favorite so far.  It comes from a tropical tree that produces the world's chocolate in raw form before any fats, sugars, or any other sweeteners are added. It makes your face smell like chocolate heaven. Not only is this powder healthy for your skin, but you can also eat it! Its known to increase the serotonin your brain produces and it packed with antioxidants and vitamins.  If you are feeling depressed and not yourself, or if mother nature arrives ladies, snack on this to boost your energy levels!

If you are a big fan of Foundation, use the same recipe above and add an essential oil to make it a liquid form. Coconut oil, olive oil, and sesame oil are just to name a few you could play around with. Just make sure all of them are the virgin form and not refined or processed

Lip Stain

• Beets. This is going to give you that fiery red lip that most people want for a lip stain. You can also add a hint of blueberry if you are looking for the blue vampire lush lip. 
• Strawberries are a settle lip stain, but they enhance your natural color. 
• Turmeric Root is always fun to play around with. Apply to lips and add a pinch of coconut oil to get a peachy lip stain. 

Blush

• One slice of beet on your cheek bones is going to give a great blush that lasts all day. Just rub in with your fingers and add more until you get the intensity you want. 

• Strawberries are very settle, but it makes your skin feel alive.  

Eyeshadow/Eyeliner/Mascara

• For the eye area, I use berries. Blackberries and Blueberries are my go to berries right now because the blue color makes my hazel eyes pop. I apply the eyeshadow with my fingers, and i purchased individual brushes to apply the eyeliner and Mascara. 

There are other ways to make Mascara that include oils and herbs, but right now, since berries are something Ryan and I could grow on our own, I'm having fun playing around with them.  

 I hope some of you will try at least one thing I have mentioned in this post.Enhancing beauty with raw products is not only fun and healthy, it taste great too!

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one. -Jill Churchill

   May 28th, 2012 is when it all began for me. My world was changing and I was terrified. Motherhood was always apart of my plan, but I didn't expect it to enter my life so soon. I quickly learned that the unplanned surprises in life are the most exciting.

 

 Maxine Rain Todd was born naturally and healthy at 9:38pm. She was weighing in at 7lbs 8.5oz and 19in. long. She is absolutely perfect if you ask me. She latched on within 30 minutes of being born, and I couldn't have been happier.  It was very important to me to exclusively Breastfeed Maxine. I knew that meant I would be the only one that could feed her and it would make it  more difficult to receive help from anyone else, but I believed it was the only healthy option for Maxine.  Ten months later, we are still breastfeeding and going strong. I love that I have a special bond that noone else will have with her, and knowing how incredible breast milk is for her makes it that much more rewarding for me. 

 

Not only do I have a loving little girl, but I have an amazing man taking this adventure with me. There are so many times I stop and realize how lucky I am to have Ryan in our lives. He has molded and become an amazing father to Maxine. For someone who thought he would never want kids, is doing an incredible job being one.  Maxine is her dad inside and out. They both have the biggest hearts I have ever seen, they absolutely love music, and Maxine cannot get enough walks in the woods with Daddy. I'm excited to see their bond grow and I can't wait to hear the interesting conversations they will have.

Ryan introduced me to healthy living when we first started dating. I slowly changed different habits in my life for  more earth friendly habits, but I didn't really dive into any of it until Maxine came along. I believe in healthy living. I believe that our bodies our precious and we should take care of it in every possible way. 

My goal is to write what I learn in this blog. I have heard  a lot of people think I am just following a trend and what I am doing might be harmful to my family. I want to show that I know what I am talking about and show everyone I do my homework before I make any decisions when it comes to my little family. In reality, I am following the lesser path taken in life and I am excited to share the knowledge with you.