Friday, June 20, 2014

Whole 30

Today I decided to look into doing Whole 30. It is where you spend 30 days eating basically Paleo - no sugars, no legumes and no dairy except grass fed butter. Bought the kindle book "It Starts with Food" that explains the idea behind the Whole 30 concept.

My friend Danielle is also doing Whole 30 so we will try to pass on recipes and encourage each other as well as follow each other's special Instagram accounts for Whole 30! Follow me @whole30jules!

More to come!

Tuesday morning, June 10
I had Honey Bunches of Oats for breakfast with 1% milk and my tummy is upset. 

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Applesauce & Green Beans

Yum! Just made applesauce and green beans for Aubrey. I used a few different kinds of apples and I added cinnamon to about half! :) 











Monday, May 19, 2014

Turkey breast find!

You know the deli meat you can pay at least $5.99/lb. for and go through in two lunches and which may or may not have strange ingredients in it?? I heard about Costco carrying turkey breast that is clean and only $3.99/lb! So I went and got one and cut it up to freeze for when we want turkey for salad or any other time. So excited about this!


Blogging memories of Aubrey

I'd like to use this post as kind of like an ongoing blog or journal about Aubrey memories. So I will add dates to the top as I add memories!

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June 3, 2014
Aubrey has started lifting up her knees and getting on her hands and knees. She sometimes rocks back and forth. Ready to move!

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May 21, 2014
The crying when put down for naps has definitely improved though there are still occasional times when it lasts for a bit. Typically I think that is when she either is overly tired or wasn't tired enough yet. Oh the guessing game! :)

As Aubrey continues to move around more she has loved finding things that mama and dada would prefer to keep baby away from. Cords for one! That little rascal found one I had covered up with a blanket! Haha. Then there's daddy's electronics! Or shoes...ew dirty. So the baby proofing, or more like baby disguising and blocking has begun! Soon we will need to be buying stair gates!

It's really fun to have Aubrey army crawl on the couch too!

Aubrey loves touching her toy pony's tail hair. She also LOVES tags. Maybe it's the smooth silky texture??

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May 20, 2014
Aubrey loves playing peek-a-boo! So fun to have a blankie covering her face and say "where's Aubrey??" and then to pull it off and she has a huge smile. So cute!!

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May 19, 2014
Sometimes I wonder if Aubrey keeps anything in her tummy that she eats. She spits up so so much. It kind of makes me sick each time more comes out because I realize she's not keeping much in but I hope it's more than I think. Maybe that's why she seems to be more hungry more often now! Although she is on the move now and on her tummy a lot putting pressure on it so I can imagine that being uncomfortable! I don't want this whole stage of her development to pass already or anything, but boy will I be happy when the spit up decreases.

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May 17, 2014
Aubrey woke me up at 4:50 this morning. I went in and fed her, changed her and then put her back in bed as is custom. Typically I turn on her mobile but didn't hoping she would fall back asleep as normally she just watches the mobile for the 20 minutes it goes for and then I get her up and bring her downstairs. This morning she didn't go back to sleep so I went in and turned in the mobile. She was fussing/crying right away so after a short while of waiting to see if she'd fall back asleep and realizing she wasn't going to I went in and got her. I held her on the rocking chair for a while but she kept being upset. So I brought her downstairs and held her and she was still upset so I laid her on the floor and she was still upset. So I got on the floor with her and played and she was okay off and on but was spitting up a lot. She hasn't pooped in two days so I think that is bothering her. I put some digestzen and peppermint essential oils on her tummy with Olive oil and about 5 minutes later when I was changing her (just wet) it seems to be helping as it was the first time she's really been happy this morning. I'm feeding her now again. 

Hiccups. No one likes them right? But as a baby they're magnified because your body is so small and they are so intense - it seems to jolt your whole body. At least that's what it does to Aubrey. Poor thing, at first she's fine and then later she gets really frustrated and mad at them. I always tell her to tell them to leave her alone!

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May 16, 2014
If you come over and visit you may notice that our carpet is two-tone or rather has its own fun design or pattern. It is all thanks to our own interior decorator Aubrey. She still continues to spit up a LOT. She loves to be on her tummy and even if I wait a while after she eats, it just comes out so much. But thanks to our very own better than carpet cleaner dog chip, the floor gets cleaned up. I tried to stop him at first but it's a lost cause. He'll always go back to the spots. 

A few weeks ago Aubrey started waking up earlier than she had been. She'd been quite consistent waking up around 730, going down at 7:30. Yes 12 hours! Crazy Ha? Then a few weeks ago she started waking up around 540 or 640 depending, now it seems to be pretty consistently 6 o'clock. We'll see if it stays that way or if it's part of her six-month growth spurt. 

Aubrey used her new high chair for the first time today! So fun and much better to have her sitting up when feeding her solids instead of kind of laying back in the yellow bouncer!

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May 12, 2014
She's on the move! Army crawling all over the place. And doing this bounce thing on the floor where it's like she's trying to move but can't. It's adorable. 

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May 1, 2014
Aubrey has been grabbing my lips and my skin/fat lately. 

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March 4, 2014 

Aubrey has been grunting a lot lately, when she's eating, sitting...we aren't  quite sure why but she sure can make some noise. She's also found her thumb and she occasionally sucks it. She also likes to hook her pointer finger and middle finger into her mouth over her bottom jaw. 

She began crying when I put her down for naps around three months, and we aren't sure why but think it may be because she's more alert and wants to be with us. So we have let her cry for a bit and it is so so hard on me. I'm hoping she will soon stop. 

She is an awesome sleeper. She started sleeping longer pretty early on but has been sleeping for at least 10 hours for a few months now. She hasn't ever woken up in the middle of the night since probably six weeks old!

She is growing more hair but still has a somewhat bald patch along the back of her head. 

She is awesome with tummy time and can lift her head and her legs up a lot. She also likes to do sit ups and pulls herself up but uses mainly her abdomen. She almost rolled over the other day on tummy time, she likes to turn to her side and favors her left side. She will lift her legs up and then just fall over to the side. It's super cute. 

When I go in to get her after she's been asleep she always gives me the cutest biggest smile. It melts my heart. 


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Aubrey solids:

5/7 - peas
5/11 - carrots (spits up a lot)
5/15 - squash
5/17 - no solids today as Aubrey spit up a lot of the squash yesterday and seems to have an upset stomach today 
5/18 - pooped AM, happier baby! :)
Peas today
5/19 - only peas again today. Pooped PM - looked to maybe be squad
5/20 - squash
5/21 - pumpkin
6/3 - made applesauce from a few kinda of apples. Sour face when tried even though not sour. Mixed with veggies and still wasn't a huge fan. 
6/8 - green beans for the second time. Aubrey doesn't like them. 
6/8 - likes bananas! But don't want to constipate her. :)
6/12 - pears AM, squash and cinnamon applesauce at 2PM
6/17 - peaches, applesauce again
6/25 - two tiny strawberries, sucked on jicama
6/27 - I think Aubrey may have stopped spitting up about a week ago!! Around 7.5 months old

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Aubrey milestones:

11/10/13- First bath!
11/11/13- First dr. appt (down 1 lb- 13%) - told to feed her supplemental milk) 
11/12/13- First spit up of all milk she just ate, all over her, me and her nursery rug!
11/28/13- she is able to track movements with eyes

12/9- Smiling at one month old :)

12/17-slept 9pm-4am
12/19-slept from 8pm-2am
12/20-slept from 9pm-7am

3/10/14 rolled from tummy to back 3/12/14 rolled from back to tummy 3/12/14 tried rice cereal didn't like it will again in a week
3/20/14 rolled from back to tummy 3 times during the night
3/21/14 slept on tummy all night

5/12/14 army crawling!
6/20 - pulling herself up on things to her knees
6/27 - I think Aubrey may have stopped spitting up about a week ago!! Around 7.5 months old

Monday, May 12, 2014

Mother's Day Gifts

I wanted to make something special for my three moms and thought it would be fun to include Aubrey's foot or handprints. So after searching Pinterest I found a few ideas. I ordered some washable paint from Amazon and had baby wipes, paper, paper plates, a paint brush, a boppy and a pacifier ready. Oh and this really adorable baby. :)

Here are the creations we made and a few of the in the moment pics!







I also made chamomile, lavender and orange foot soak and handmade cards. :)



Happy Mother's Day to all of you!







Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Meal overview

Dinner tonight consisted of pork tenderloin with a honey/coconut aminos glaze, cauliflower mash, and roasted purple Peruvian potatoes and summer squash. 


I realize the plating is not very appetizing. That's not high on my list at this point. :) Plus we had to keep the garlic cauliflower mash separate from the one without to do a proper taste test.

Our review:
- Pork tenderloin: 
I subbed Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute for the Montreal steak seasoning and used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. 
A bit sweet from the honey but not too sweet. This was the pork from Costco with no flavor added. Baked at 350 for 45 minutes = perfect!

- Cauliflower mash: Against All Grain 
I thought it was great aside from the texture, which wasn't awful, just a bit more liquidy than I would have liked and it could have been blended a tad more. But I was very pleased with the flavor! 

:: side note :: I have always thought I was allergic to cauliflower because well I was. I broke out in hives when I had it as a child. So if you don't see any more posts from me you'll know the cauliflower took me. Just kidding of course, BUT I am waiting as we speak to see if I in fact still have an adverse reaction to it or not. I'm hoping not because there are so many other recipes I want to try with it, I've only just begun! Ok back to the dinner. 

- Roasted purple Peruvian potatoes: what's not to like? Throw some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast and voila! We got these in our CSA basket so I was really just trying to use them up and have a fail-safe in case the mash went over badly. 

- Roasted summer squash: ick. If anyone has a way of cooking this without it getting all mushy, please share!

Ok that's it for now!

Yes peas!

Peas were a hit! Or at least they weren't a miss! Here are pics from Aubrey's first solids meal besides rice cereal (well I did give her a little mashed up banana like a week ago but then waited until today for anything else).



So we'll try peas for a few days to make sure there aren't any allergies and then we'll try something new!

Solids!

6 months has arrived...and with it comes - solid foods! I have decided to make Aubrey's food so yesterday I set out to make it happen!

Ingredients: I chose frozen veggies to start, much quicker than chopping fresh veggies and most if the nutrients are kept when veggies are frozen!
- squash
- peas
- carrots

Kitchen supplies:
- microwaveable steamer
- spatula
- long spoon
- vitamix
- ice cube trays
- Saran Wrap
- ziplock bags

Steps:
First, wash your hands :)
Next, steam those veggies (add water as directed on package)
Then purée!
Pour into ice cube trays
Cover with Saran
Freeze
Remove cubes and put in ziploc bags
Label with masking tape including the food and date
Freeze and use up to 3-4 months

Super easy and fun!!
Here are some pics of the first batch!





All ready to defrost/warm and eat! I'm thinking we'll try peas first!! :) Pics to come!

Healthy Coffee Creamer?!?!

YES PLEASE!!!

I love coffee...the yummy flavored creamy kind that is. We have an espresso machine and it is amazing. I and tell you how much money we've saved not going to starbucks at least twice a week if not more often! But that doesn't meant I'm drinking any fewer calories! Can't I win?! :) I typically add work white chocolate powder or peppermint syrup. My latest morning drink of choice has been a white chocolate americano (espresso and got water) with a splash of half n half to add a little creaminess. So yummy!! However the calories are not. And that's not mentioning the ingredients in the white chocolate powder that I have no clue what they are! So I went on a search for an alternate coffee sweetener/creamer. Introduce different Paleo coffee creamers! Once again I decided to try a few to see how they compare. 





I added cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin spice and it was quite good!! It still tasted a little bitter but that could be solved with adding more spices or even a dollop of honey. I opted to drink it as-is this time. :)

One downside I found with this one is if you don't drink it up while it's warm and opt to reheat it (I usually get my drinks hotter than extra hot ;) and I have a baby girl who sometimes has other things in mind than momma drinking her hot coffee), it will separate and become kind of chunky. Ew not a fan. 


#2 (coconut milk, coconut oil, egg, vanilla, honey)

I couldn't do it. The egg. Other than that I added some cinnamon and pumpkin spice. This morning I tried it in my cup of coffee and I am not too crazy about it. I'm thinking it might be the coconut oil that is adding an extra element I'm not very fond of...a weird aftertaste. 

That being said, I may try the first recipe again and instead of dates, see how it is with maple syrup and/or honey. I don't mind using dates as they are a natural sweetener but it takes a bit more work to get them to completely blend. I'll give an update after I try my own revised recipe!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

6 Month Wellness Checkup

Today we had Aubrey's six month wellness checkup. She is 36% in weight and 90% in height. 

As we were waiting do the doctor I had her on the checkup table and she flipped right over to her tummy as is customary now. It wasn't long before she found the "scratchy" paper that covers the table. She has been loving hearing the sounds different objects make as well as how they feel. Carpet, leather couches, jackets, and the doctor's office table paper. I had to be careful as she has such a good grip and a few times she caught the edge and started to tear it and you guessed it, go for the hole in one! Nooo you can't eat that Aubrey!! Whew. 

We have been trying to use doTerra essential oils instead of over the counter meds etc and another friend just posted about using them for her daughter when she got immunizations. So I figured I should give it a shot, no pun intended. In the past I have given her Tylenol beforehand and she has cried initially when the needles go in but then soon after she is fine. She had the same reaction when I used the diluted clove and lavender oils today. Yay oils! I have rubbed it on her thighs a few times today to help with any tenderness. 

I've also heard clove is good for teething so that will be next on the list!

Kick-kick-kick!

This is a phrase I have used with Aubrey for quite a while now. She LOVES to kick and it's usually pretty intense so I have gotten in the habit of telling her kick-kick-kick! Well she just found a way to explore this kicking in a whole new experience. During bath time!! We have a plastic baby bath and she was going crazy tonight! So much so that I was having trouble holding her and she kept starting to slip down...scary!! She also loves being on the couch on her tummy and kicking! It's fun to see her exploring each new development! 


Monday, May 5, 2014

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

As we're trying to be more conscious about what we're eating, I have been trying new healthier recipes lately, not to mention pinning like crazy! Today I made Paleo Blueberry muffins. Yum! Even the hubby said that he looks forward to having them with his coffee!



Thursday, May 1, 2014

The latest of Aubrey

Aubrey's latest thing is all about grabbing... I mean she's been reaching, gripping and grabbing for awhile now but the object of her grip as of late is definitely new. She has been finding any amount of skin or fat she can get a grasp on and goes for it. Oh, or my lips. I understand why the lips might be curious to here because she watches me talk, but I'm not so sure why the skin/fat!! :) One of the many reasons babies are so entertaining!

She's also been doing this thing where she scrunches up her nose and blows in and out of it over and over. So so funny. I'm not sure where it came from but it cracks me up, and yes you can occasionally catch me mimicking the same hilarious contortionist facial expression and animalistic sound. Oh the things babies get us to do!



Sleep time is over and I hear the little one squawking. I love gettimg Aubrey up from her sleep time. I walk in and crouch down and say her name. If she's not already looking my direction she turns and is smiling before she even sees me. Melts my heart every time. Such a joyful beautiful child of God. I am blessed beyond measure to be called to raise her and be her mama. 


FOOD. Aubrey is so very interested in what we're eating or drinking now! I tried starting her on rice cereal right after she turned four months per the doc's request but she wasn't having it. Now she's all about it! Can't wait for solids...which we'll probably start this week or next after her six month check up and once I get to pureeing! Oh the fun we have decorating our face and well, the couch and mommy's face and clothes with rice cereal!! Sneezes also tend to happen quite often when eating...rice cereal shower!


I love seeing babies in their diapers. It's adorable. All their soft skin and rolls and dimples! 



Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Seek & Find

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 
Jeremiah 29:13


Monday, April 28, 2014

Easy does it


14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.
Philippians 2:14-15


I'd like to say that I'm a positive person, not easily getting upset. But that wouldn't be true. We all have areas that need improving in our lives, and these verses really hit home to me today.

grumbling. grumbling. 

The word just sounds like what it is. Groaning. Whining. Complaining. Mix them up and you have grumbling soup. I know we all have moments where one thing adds to the last and it's just too much and we crack. Believe me I'm so very guilty. But God has been talking to me lately about being content and joyful in Him no matter the circumstances. To let his sovereignty and grace cover the "one more poopy diaper blowout", the "dog keeps trying to lick Aubrey's face off and I just really don't want him to" or the many other moments that can cause me to grumble or lose the "gentle spirit" Christ calls me to have. 

How easy it is to get annoyed at the person driving just under the speed limit or the fact I hit every red light because I am in a hurry since I left late. Yes I know, there were reasons beyond my control that caused me to leave late, it's not really my fault. Nonetheless, my response and actions to others shouldn't be dependent on the seesaw that is my daily life. Things happen, they change the moments that I may have had planned out from as small as getting to an appointment on time to the huge decisions in life. What I need to remember is God is with me to the end of the age, and when things don't go exactly how I envisioned, grumbling will do me no good. In fact, it will only make me more grumbly. If that's not a real word... I just made it one. :) 

So easy does it with the grumbling, Jules.

God's grace is sufficient. It is magnificent. Yet how hard it is to rely on Him in the daily, even though this earth and all in it will pass away. My prayer is that I will continue to learn how to love this trivial life with all of its bumps, high and low, and hold onto the God who makes the living worth anything. To be joyful and content always because He is my constant, never changing, forever King. 

smiles

What's in a nickname? We all have them, they've come from many different places usually. Some of us may use a nickname for what we are called day to day whereas others have nicknames from specific people. My older brother Jonathan was and is known in our family as a nickname creator. We all have countless nicknames from him, most of which evolved over time. To give you an example, when we found out we were having a girl and we decided on the name Aubrey we told my older brother her name and that we like the name Bree for a nickname. He said "You're telling people what they can call her? What if we want to call her Aubs?" Fair enough. And what do you know, we tend to call her Aubs a lot. However, her other nickname which has become quite popular with us is Smiles. 

Her smile is huge. It's infectious. It makes me smile or laugh every time. Pure joy. And now she smiles without us even needing to smile first. Sometimes she will just randomly look at me and smile. What a gift from God! She smiles when watching our dog Chip, she smiles at daddy when he doesn't know she's looking, she smiles at her crib mobile, she smiles at the blank ceiling. :) One thing is for sure, 90% of the time you will see her tongue when she smiles, documented in the pictures below. That could actually be another nickname for her but we'll leave that one alone for now! 

I don't know that we will use this nickname a lot when she's 15, for fear we might push our daughter away forever! But we love the nickname that we feel suits her to a "T" and we'll keep using it as long as we can get away with it. ;)





Saturday, April 26, 2014

So much produce!

This morning I went to pick up our CSA- basket of fruits and vegetables. So.much.produce!  This week we got:




Asparagus
Yellow squash
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Mangoes
Bananas
Tomatoes
Grapefruit
Corn on the cob
Not pictured:
Cantaloupe
Potatoes

This not to mention the produce we already have:

Mixed greens (kale, spinach, chard)
Romaine
Red, orange and yellow bell peppers
Carrots
Apples
Strawberries
More bananas!

Now the challenge begins...how to use as much as possible before it spoils!! Just call us herbivores!

Got any ideas?? I'd love to hear!!

Coconut oil review

Here are my initial thoughts on coconut oil for a few different uses. 

Shaving cream:  it seemed to work quite well and was smooth, however it made it harder to rinse off my razor. Otherwise I was pretty pleased.

Moisturizer:  After I showered I used coconut oil on the left half of my face as well as on my left leg and foot. I used regular face moisturizer on the right side of my face and Oil of Olay moisturizer on my right leg and foot. I felt like Two-Face! 

For those of you who haven't use coconut oil or haven't used it on your skin, it is very oily. That takes some getting used to and also figuring out how much you need because it goes a lot farther than you may think. I then proceeded with my regular make up routine. My makeup went on over the coconut oil easily. However, throughout the day I did notice that if I touched my face, which I realize I tend to do a lot more than I probably should!, my make up would come off quite easily.
  Coconut oil -1

Throughout the day I also had my mascara touch under my eye and it smeared, a few times thus giving me the I just woke up from a nap look. Hmm not what I was going for. 
  Coconut oil -2

I want to give the coconut oil as a moisturizer on my legs and feet a longer test period. So far I haven't noticed much difference between it and the Oil of Olay moisturizer. More to come...

After washing my face I then used coconut oil on my face and lips before going to bed. Once again, very oily. However considering I wash my face in the morning when I take a shower, I can easily wash off the excess oil before putting on any makeup. 

Foot moisturizer:  I have been putting oil on my feet and covering them with socks before bed to see if it helps with my calluses and dryness. I will continue doing this so I can see if it helps over time. More to come...

Friday, April 25, 2014

play time!

I would say in the past month or so Aubrey has become a lot more aware. She always seemed to be quite alert even early-on, but now she actually wants to touch and grab things more than before. Play time has been fun with her, seeing her explore things and watching it through an infant's eyes. 

She also has started talking so much which is so fun and sometimes hilarious. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner and she is just squawking up a storm. It is so cute and often I literally laugh out loud. 

All of the stages are unique in their own ways and I don't want to forget any of them. 






I just recently realized that she can sort of hold herself up while sitting for a short period of time. So it won't be long before she's sitting on her own!


And finally, "I'm tired mama." So sweet. 



Thursday, April 24, 2014

Super Oil!

Coconut oil. It's been around forever but has emerged as a super oil recently and it's not hard to see why! From cooking to baking to skin and hair, this oil does it all!

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doctoroz.com says:
Studies have show that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida.
Coconut oil can boost thyroid function helping to increase metabolism, energy and endurance. It increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
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I've been using it in cooking and baking for awhile and have never been disappointed. Yesterday I tried some in my coffee. It was definitely different...but I think with the right combo of sweetener it could be not too bad. Okay let's be honest, I'm not sure how many more times I'll do that because I feel like it's just not the same coffee anymore! One step at a time. :)
Oil pulling. Heard of it?? I hadn't until a few months ago. Basically it involves "pulling" oil through your teeth...pushing and pulling for 20 minutes, resulting in many benefits, two of which are reduction in plaque and whiter teeth. Back up...20 minutes?!? I have yet to try it but have heard the gagging reflex is on high alert. Dr. Mercola states "When done correctly, oil pulling has a significant cleansing, detoxifying and healing affect, not only for your mouth and sinuses but for the rest of your body as well."
Add that to my list of new things to try!
Next up: coconut oil as moisturizer, eye makeup remover and hair deep conditioner. Here I've whipped up coconut oil so it's ready for use! More to come on my reviews!


DIY coconut oil skin care recipes:

Makeup remover: Swipe on with a moist cotton ball. Wipe off with clean cotton ball or wet washcloth.
Facial cleanser: Massage a dollop of coconut oil onto face and neck. Wash off with wet washcloth and pat dry.
Body scrub: Mix equal parts coconut oil with organic cane sugar in a glass jar. Use the scrub on dry skin prior to your shower or bath.
Facial scrub: Instead of sugar, mix coconut oil with baking soda, or oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon, for a gentle facial scrub.
Shaving lotion: Apply a thin layer of coconut oil on area to be shaved, and shave as usual. The lauric acid in the coconut oil will also serve as an antiseptic for cuts that result from shaving.
Face and body moisturizer: You can use it either by itself, or add your favorite essential oil. (Make sure you’re using a high quality essential oil that is safe for topical application.) The featured article6 also suggests whipping the coconut oil with an electric mixer to produce a fluffy moisturizer that stays soft and spreadable even in cooler temperatures.

When applied topically, coconut oil helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.

For these and more DIY coconut oil skin care recipes, see http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/18/coconut-oil-uses.aspx#!

weddings and babies <3

LOVE BOTH. 

I have so many loved ones celebrating one of these joyous events in the near future and I am blessed to be a part! Here are two cards I made recently:






Faux dough

Cashews
Garbanzo beans
Date syrup 

I'm sure the first thing that came to your mind when you read those ingredients was cookie dough, right??  And there's that date syrup again!  Haha I didn't believe it either. So I figured I needed to try it before I instantly disliked it.  I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, especially cookie dough... so my expectations are pretty high.  But in the name of health, I wanted to try these faux doughs out for myself!

One of the cookie recipes has cashews as the base and the other has chickpeas. I subbed date syrup for the maple syrup/agave syrup in both recipes. And i added oats to the chickpea one. I used semi sweet choc chips in both. 

Cashews:

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans):

So, how do they compare to each other and how do they stand up next to the best chocolate chip cookie dough recipe I've had??

The texture of the chickpea dough is much better, more creamy like normal cookie dough. The cashew dough is more crunchy but that may be because the cashews could have been blended more. The chickpea dough has some peanut butter in it so you can taste that, which I'm always a fan of, but it makes it hard to compare the two taste-wise. You can taste the cashews as well, so they both doughs have a nutty flavor of their own.  Both lack the sweet dough flavor of grandma's good ol' chocolate chip cookie dough, however as a healthy alternative they hold their own quite well. Unless you have a nut allergy, I suggest you give them a try and let me know which one you like best!

Here's another recipe I will probably try out in the future.  It looks like you may be able to bake it if you add some baking soda but no one's posted anything yet, so more to come on that!


Recipes!

Cashews:

Chickpeas: