Don't miss this video The Story of Cosmetics   if you love your skin.  ('The Story of Cosmetics' released on July 21st, 2010, examines the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. Produced with Free Range Studios and hosted by Annie Leonard, the seven-minute film by The Story of Stuff Project reveals the implications for consumer and worker health and the environment, and outlines ways we can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives. The film concludes with a call for viewers to support…

Emergency wards are overflowing. Stomachs are churning and red noses are raw. Moaning and groaning is commonplace as the flu season strikes its homeruns. Here are a few helpful hints to ward of its blast attack. Suck on zinc lozenges. Spray with Silver…the eyes, nose, mouth and hands. It kills viruses. Chomp on a fresh garlic. Unless of course they are hidden in a snow bed, in which case, take the enteric-coated garlic pills. Drink lots of green tea. Decaffeinated is probably best so that at least you will sleep well, in the dark of course.  (If you want a real eye opener of a book on…

  As legend has it… A lake of healing waters became known as Manitou. When European settlers pushed westward many of the tribes were forced to migrate from their land. Foreign diseases such as smallpox caused devastating losses. No natural medicine known to the Cree tribes eased their suffering and they were forced to flee from sure death. Legend has it that several tribe members, sick and dying, crawled to the shores of a lake in order to replenish their thirst. By drinking the waters and immersing their fevered bodies in the cool waters, they felt great relief. Miraculously, these…

Written By: Natural Mama I have found a way to get my kids to drink spinach! I am not kidding. One day I decided to add spinach to my smoothie and it turns out you can’t taste it. I gave it to my kids, and they actually drank it.     This smoothie is delicious… 1 banana 1.5 cups rice milk 3 heaping TBS of organic vanilla yogurt 3 cups loose leaf organic spinach 1 TBS maple syrup 1 TBS almond butter a hand full of fresh/frozen berries It doesn’t matter the recipe. Add spinach to any smoothie. The health benefits of spinach are numerous and its ability to help prevent disease is well known.…

Written by: Natural Mama The Diva Cup is convenient, saves you money and is good for the environment. What’s not to love? … Oh, what is it exactly? If you are not familiar with the Menstrual Diva Cup than I suggest you read on because the Diva Cup is the best thing that has ever happened to my period. I LOVE it. The Diva Cup is inserted into the vagina and sits at the lower base of the vaginal canal. Oh, did I mention this blog is for FEMALE EYES ONLY? It collects menstrual flow, you pull it out, empty it, clean it, and insert it again and again. Yes, you only need one! No more tampons ladies…

Written By: Natural Mama One summer I taught art camp to school age kids. This gave me the opportunity to sneak a peak into their lunch kits and see the range of nutrition that was packed for them. The lack of healthy variety was disappointing. Considering how easy nutritious eating can be, I would have loved to stand on the table at pick up time, and give a little speech to the parents about what to feed their kids…and then go on about what I feed MY kids, because I am, oh, so knowledgeable on the matter. I would have never had the audacity to do a loud obnoxious announcement, but that’s…

Slices of white turkey, left over stuffing and mashed potatos fill my fridge. Warm energies from our last night’s friends still encompass the house. With a family holiday today, life is feeling pretty good. The hot sun shining in October is a bonus I could have wished for. I am still resonating from Thanksgiving dinner. After having had recovered from illness, I am aware of how much our thoughts affect our mood, our health and our over-all happiness. Awareness of giving thanks is a major part of our well-being. My healing process involved and still involves a very active sense of gratitude…

The other day, preparing for our wedding celebration here at 2 Lakeside (I will post some pictures soon), I almost tripped over a garden rake. Wedding jitters. This ‘almost disaster’ reminded me of an excerpt from one of my aromatherapy books. Being that time of year when we are preparing our gardens for their winter rest, I thought I’d share this with you. “You bump your head, trip over the cat, fall down the stairs, or stand on the upturned end of a garden rake so that it suddenly smacks you viciously on the head. In fact, garden injuries are among the commonest and most dangerous kind.…