Written by Kari @ Living Strong Wellness, Contributing Writer 

It seems these days that good, restful sleep is hard to come by. Not only with adults, but children as well. As this is not an exciting fact, it is a reality and I believe we have a wonderful variety of natural options to help us.

For instance, there are herbal teas, essential oils, supplements and something I want to share with you today – magnesium butter.

Ahhh, this stuff is amazing. Why do I love it so much? Because it provides our body something that is lacking so severely in today’s generation – magnesium.

There are many benefits of healthy magnesium levels. To mention just a few:

1. Magnesium helps muscle and nerve function. Serving as calcium’s vital partner, magnesium will allow calcium to do it’s job to build muscle growth.
2. Magnesium plays an important role in gut health. Without good levels of magnesium aid in the absorption of copper, potassium, vitamin D and zinc. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which will lessen the risk for diabetes.
3. Magnesium can help lower blood pressure or keep blood pressure low by allowing your muscles to relax, contract and push blood through the arteries and veins without force.
4. Magnesium helps melatonin (the sleep regulating hormone) stay balanced, which allows for more peaceful sleep.
5. Magnesium can help balance stress hormones, eliminating stress and tension and allowing for a more relaxed state of being (which in return will help with rest as well).

The list goes on and on, but those five points alone should get people’s attention when it comes to supplementing with safe sources of magnesium. Data from 2012 stated that 48% of the American population, 79% over the age of 55, were deficient in magnesium. This isn’t good, especially when it is such a vital mineral and nutrient for our bodies.

Along with taking a liquid mineral supplement, we use magnesium butter every evening before we go to bed. We just spread a thin layer either behind our knees or on our inner arm (where the skin in thin) and that’s it! I have made this for several family members and friends and they all love it and can tell a huge difference in their quality of sleep (especially the adults…go figure)!

The recipe is simple and last a long time on the shelf! We always use it, so we go through a 4 ounce container in about 3-4 months (three of us use it). Since the recipe doesn’t contain water, it would probably last a good 6-8 months if kept clean (wash hands before using the butter) and can always be extended to 12-18 months or longer if refrigerated!

You can make this recipe ‘naked’, meaning adding no essential oils, or you can add your favorite calming and sleep inducing oils such as lavender, cedarwood, vetiver, ylang ylang or sandalwood! If you are using therapeutic grade essential oils, only use a total of 40 drops of oils combined for this amount, which is one cup.

The end result with the color will vary depending on the type of shea butter you use. We use a raw shea butter that has a deep, deep yellow tone and rich scent and amazing benefits that trump refined and bleached shea butters.

Whipped Naked Magnesium Butter

What You’ll Need:

• 3/8 cups virgin coconut oil
• 3/8 cups raw shea butter
• ¼ cup magnesium oil (how to make it yourself)
• ¼ cup almond or jojoba oil

What You’ll Do:

1. Melt the virgin coconut oil and raw shea butter over low heat just until it’s all liquid.
2. Add the almond or jojoba oil, pour into a medium glass bowl and allow to cool to room temp. You can leave on the counter for an hour or so or you can stick it in the fridge to speed up the process. I like the fridge :o)
3. Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, take your room temp oil mix, turn on the blender and slowly add the room temp magnesium oil.
4. Mix or blend this until it is creamy. You can’t have any separation, which means, no water droplets anywhere. This can take a few minutes if the oils are room temp. If they are too warm, it will take longer.
5. Place the bowl in the fridge for around 30 minutes. You want to see it starting to harden and solidify.
6. Once it’s solidifying, remove the bowl and using the mixer or blender with a whisk attachment, whip the mixture until light and fluffy! If you are adding essential oils, do it during this step.
7. Store in a glass jar or container and place in a cool, dark place.

I hope you enjoy the wonderful benefits of this magnesium butter that is safe for you and your entire family!

What is your favorite natural solution for calming and peaceful sleep?

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Rather than spraying or lathering on chemicals that could be harmful to our bodies, especially after so much repeated use over the summer, here are twenty DIY remedies that can be easily made at home. Even if you are an essential oil newbie like myself, you can still find almost all the relief you need this summer from these simple remedies. 

If making your own remedies is new to you or still seems overwhelming, pick two to three remedies that you will use most often to start with and go from there. Even substituting just one chemical-free remedy will get you closer to a healthier summer.

Natural Home Remedies to Keep You Safe this Summer:

Sun Protection & Burn Relief

• DIY After Sun Spray ll Firefly Fields Living
• Homemade Sunscreen ll Keeper of the Home
• Whipped Coconut Cooling Lotion ll Hip 2 Save
• Magnesium Body Butter ll Wellness Mama
• DIY Sunscreen Sticks ll MadeOn

Bug & Tick Repellants

• Natural Bug Repellants with Essential Oils ll Herbal Academy of New England
• Homemade Rosemary Lemon Bug Repellant ll My Baking Addiction
• DIY Natural Tick Repellant ll Kornerstone Farms
• Homemade Basil Mosquito Repellant ll Mommypotamus
• Natural Tick Repellant ll Primally Inspired

Itch Relief

• Homemade Itch Relief Spray ll The Frugal Farm Wife
• Homemade Calamine Lotion ll Nourishing Joy
• Poison Ivy Paste ll Earth Remedy
• Homemade Bug Bite Relief Stick ll The Prairie Homestead
• Lavender for Relief ll DIY Natural

Aches & Pain Relief

• Homemade Natural Neosporin ll Mrs. Happy Homemaker
• DIY Warming Rub for Sore Muscles ll Pop Sugar
• Pain Relief Rub ll The Paleo Mama
• Magnesium Oil Lotion ll Creative Christian Mama
• Pain Relieving Bath Salts ll The Good Thieves

Don’t forget to pin this list for future reference and check out these other posts on outdoor summer fun! 

• The {Real} Magic Kingdom Series ll This Pilgrim Life
• Day Hiking with Kids ll Day 2 Day Joys
• 4 Outdoor Learning Activities with Kids ll Day 2 Day Joys
• The Risks and Benefits of Sun Exposure ll Keeper of the Home

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Written by Kari, Contributing Writer

Sometimes certain subjects aren’t exciting to talk about, but they affect our lives in more ways than we know. One of those is snoring. Yes, snoring and this is something that I have had to deal with in my 15 years of marriage. After 15 years of trying almost every way to eliminate this problem, it is FINALLY solved and we’ve had two months of snore-free nights. Now, I want to share with you how we got to this amazing place of peaceful and restful sleep – naturally!

First, lets look at some realistic statistics on this topic:

•  30% of people 30 or older snore
•  40% of people 40 or older snore
•  19% of adult females snore
•  59% of people who say their partner snores
•  5.6% of children snore habitually
•  28% of people who say they experience sleep apnea
•  38 decibels – the average decibel level of a snore
•  Approximately 9% of all men and 4% of all women between the ages of 30 and 60 are affected by sleep apnea.
•  Sleep apnea may occur in as much as 20 to 40 percent of the adult population that are snorers.
•  The partner of someone afflicted with sleep apnea loses approximately one hour of sleep per evening and may wake up as many as 21 times per hour, a side-effect of apnea known as “Spousal Arousal Syndrome”.
•  People that are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are as much as six times more likely to be involved in a car crash then those without sleep disorders. This is due to the fact that they are drowsy from the condition.
•  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes as well as 1,550 fatalities per year.

Now that we know this, isn’t it time we do something about it? On top of it, do something about it naturally.

Many of you already know the wonderful benefits of using therapeutic grade essential oils. Now, for me, I was always skeptical when it came to the properties of essential oils, although I’ve used them over the course of the past 22 years – mostly just for the scent, not the health benefits.

A few months ago, I came to a point I was pretty fed up with my husband’s snoring. Not fed up with my husband, but with the nearly sleepless nights I was getting because of this issue. Not only that – but sleep apnea had become a part of this issue, which is never fun. Laying awake at night, listening to the person you love stop breathing for short periods of time, waiting to hear them start breathing again. I also knew how this was affecting him. Read the statistics above if you need a reminder.

As a last resort, I asked a friend who used essential oils if there were any known oils that would help with snoring issues. She went through her book and gave me the names of some oil blends that were said to help eliminate snoring. I went ahead and ordered them along with the handbook, still skeptical, but desperate for something to work. Something that wouldn’t involve pills, surgery or machines.

Before we began applying the oils, I read through the essential oils handbook twice to make sure I had knowledge before blindly slathering therapeutic grade oils over my husband. I learned the why and how of using oils, the application, the cautions and everything I needed to know to understand why these should work.

Finally, the experimenting again. That’s how I looked at it – an experiment and I only gave it a week. I didn’t even jump in with both feet – I guess I was just hoping for the best and going for it.

Well, long story short, I began applying these 3 oil blends alternately (very important when using blends) every night on my husband’s chest and back and I am happy to say that we have had two months of snore-free nights! At first I thought it was a fluke, so we decided to stop using the oils for a couple nights, but the snoring returned, so we went back to using the oil blends.

Since seeing the results personally of using therapeutic grade essential oils, I pulled out all the books and information I’ve collected over the past 22 years and have had my nose in those books drinking in everything I’ve overlooked all these years. I am now also taking classes through a highly respectable certification program and have become a distributor of certified therapeutic grade essential oils through a non-MLM company.

I chose this company because it was the brand I first used and saw results with and I liked the fact that I can offer them to my clients a lower price than those from other companies since all middle men are removed. They are a wonderful, small company that sells high quality, therapeutic grade essential oils that work wonderfully!

If you would like to try to get some much needed rest in your home, you can take the steps we took and purchase our “Quiet Nights ~ Stop The Snoring Kit”! The kit is already a savings of 25% and you can get an extra 15% off by using the coupon code STOPSNORINGNOW!

We hope you find much success in using these oils as we did!

What are your favorite essential oil blends for natural remedies?

statistics gathered from:
http://www.exploringsnoring.com/snoring-statistics/
http://www.statisticbrain.com/snoring-statistics/

The post Quiet Nights! Stop Snoring Naturally appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Cleaning.

We all have to do it and if you think about it, this is a constant activity in our lives. Whether we are personally the ones cleaning our homes or someone else is, the fact is, you have to use cleaners.

Unfortunately, the cleaners most people have in their home are extremely toxic and dangerous to our health. If you think about how often cleaners are used in our home, you can get a good picture of how many chemicals you have floating around, embedded in the carpet, bedding, towels and clothes.

Our homes are letting off chemical vapors every second of the day. For instance, chemicals from paint, new carpet, furniture and all the cleaning products, air fresheners and perfumes we use – just to name a few.

That’s a lot of foreign substance going into our body every single day. Thankfully our bodies were wonderfully created to be able to keep us from being badly affected by these kinds of toxins. Unfortunately, we are in a state of toxic overload in this generation and our bodies are having a harder time keeping these chemicals from harming us.

Research shows how these chemical-laden products can cause issues in the central nervous system, in the lungs, neurologically and so much more. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any part of my body harmed by the stuff I clean with.

One of the best ways we can lessen the impact of toxic chemical exposure is by making your own cleaning products. It’s easy, simple and extremely inexpensive.  Recipes bombard the Google search pages and so many contain 5 ingredients or less.

Our home has been commercial cleaning product free for about 8 years now and I’ll never go back to using that toxic stuff. My house gets just as clean, if not cleaner, by using simple, homemade cleaners using ingredients such as baking soda, borax, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, liquid soap and essential oils. The recipe I am sharing today is for an all purpose cleaner and it might be one of the simplest recipes to make. It uses white vinegar and grapefruit (with some added oranges, lemons and limes if I have any). That’s it. I appreciate that the natural elements of the grapefruit contain wonderful cleaning and sanitizing agents. The citrus scent also beats any commercial product out there! There is probably a lingering scent of the vinegar, although I’m so use to using it, i don’t notice it. If so, and you don’t like that, you can add a high quality grade essential oil that will help with the scent as well as the antimicrobial properties of the cleanser.

All Purpose Citrus Cleaner:

What You Need:

• 2 organic grapefruits (and any organic oranges or lemons peels/flesh you may have)
• white vinegar (approximately 3+ cups)
• you can also just use the peels so you don’t have to waste those every time you eat citrus fruit

What You Do:

1. Slice the grapefruit or oranges.
2. Place all of them in a 1 quart glass jar. If you’re like me and want bulk, use a larger jar, fill it with the citrus fruits then fill with vinegar.
3. Fill the jar with white vinegar, leaving about 1” at the top.
4. Set jar in a windowsill for at least 2 weeks to allow the vinegar to pull out all the good stuff from the citrus fruit. If you are using just the peels, allow it to steep a week or two longer.
5. Once it’s ready, strain the vinegar and then squeeze the grapefruit (while in the strainer) to get all the juice out.
6. Use as a concentrate. I like to use a 1:2 ratio water to citrus liquid. Pour into a spray bottle and store any extra in a glass jar in a cool, dark place.
7. Use as an all purpose cleaner on counter tops, porcelain fixtures in the bathroom, tile, walls, etc. If you are unsure about  finish on your walls or furniture, test a small area first before using. I do not use it on mirrors – the oils in it will cause streaking.
8. Breathe in. Ahhhhh.

There you have it. A simple, easy, yummy-smelling citrus all purpose cleaner! I promise you – once you switch over to making your own products, you’ll love the results. Not only in your home, but in your pocketbook as well! The best benefit will be the fact that you aren’t harming your family’s health every time you clean. It makes cleaning worth while!

Do you make your own safe cleaning products? What is your favorite?

The post All Purpose Citrus Cleaner appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Since my oldest son was born, he has dealt with eczema/psoriasis issues.  Some cases/times of year are more severe than others.  However, since moving to Florida two years ago, his skin has fallen in love with the Florida humidity and salty seasides.   Since then his struggles have not been nearly as severe as they were in the cold, dry Illinois winters.

He turned ten years old this month, (still can’t believe that!) so we have been ’round the block many, many times with trial and error attempts at solving these skin issues.  When his doctor noticed a couple small dry patches of skin at his recent well visit, I knew it was time to dive into my eczema list archives and deal with it before it could grow into another serious issue.

I keep an outline for myself of all the natural solutions that have been effective for us over the years as a resource to go back to when we come to that point again.  It has been almost three years since his skin has really flared up and now when there is even a hint of eczema, we have a plethora of ideas to fall back on.

As my list is about eight pages long… I’m going to condense it for you into my top three tips today!

Winter Eczema Tips:

1. Water is your friend

You can’t be hydrated on the outside, if you’re not hydrating your inside!  Drinking plenty of water removes toxins, balances ph levels, moves nutrients through our bodies and so much more.  A salt water bath can bring quick healing and relief (or a dip in the ocean is even better!).  Just add 1-2 cups of epsom salts to a warm (not hot) bath to remove toxins, exfoliate, reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation.  

2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

Not all creams and lotions are created equal!  In fact, many can do more harm than good.  Unscented products with fewer ingredients are best.  My favorites are Aquaphor, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and topical Vitamin E.  We make our own healing lotion bars that can be used daily for skin irritations, cuts, bug bites, burns and more.  

3. Supplement

Just as we need water to moisturize from the inside out, certain supplements provide the essential fatty acids our bodies need to maintain moisture.  Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that also helps fight asthma and other allergy issues.  Omega 3’s provide a natural emollient, reduce redness and swelling and repair skin cells.  Probiotics and prebiotics help the body to retain nutrients/enzymes that hold water, can reduce itching and strengthen the immune system.  We use this brand of supplements because of their guarantee of purity and potency!

These ideas are a great start towards healthy skin!  Other things to consider are diet changes, using natural household cleaners, getting plenty of sleep, etc.  There is always an answer and it’s different for each person.  If you are struggling with eczema and psoriasis, there is hope and healing!  

What are your best tips for healthy skin?

The post Winter Eczema Tips appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Written by Christy @ Fresh Mix Momma, Contributing Writer

Hello 2015! It’s nice to meet you!

Although I love to meet a bright and shining New Year, I am not thrilled with the cold & flu season that seems to come with it!

Just like many others, I had recently come down with a nasty cold. Of course, just my luck it was the same day my husband went back to work, leaving just me & my little one (isn’t that the way it always goes?)

I will be the first one to tell you, I can’t stand taking medicine! I can take a good multivitamin with no problem, but I just don’t like medicine. I feel like most the time over the counter medicines just mask the problem for a little bit and don’t actually help treat the issue. I also pretty much refuse to go to the doctors unless I absolutely have to.

So, what do I do when I get sick?

On the rare occasions that I do get sick, there are always a few things that I do to knock out my cold quickly.

Here are my tips for treating a cold without medicine:

1. Rest

I know this one can be hard, since we are all busy, but it is very important to try and get as much rest as you can.

2. Water, Water, Water

You need to be sure to keep your body hydrated when you aren’t feeling well. As much as you might want that Tea, Gatorade or Sprite nothing will help hydrate you better than just plain ol’ H2O!

3. Steam it up!

This is one of my first go to tricks whenever I feel like a cold may be coming on. I steam up the bathroom and just go in, relax and breath in the steam. Not only can a steamed room be nice and relaxing, but by inhaling the steam it can help you breath better and loosen any congestion you might have.

4. Take your Vitamins

Taking a good multivitamin can do wonders! Many times when you aren’t feeling well, you don’t feel like eating very much so much sure that your body is getting extra vitamins that it needs. Taking in some extra Vitamin C doesn’t hurt either. Rachel recommends these women’s multi’s. 

5. Tea with honey please!

Another go to for me is drinking some Green Tea with honey. Although, I am normally a coffee person, when I am not feeling well I go straight for the hot tea. Drinking hot tea will help open you up as well as loosen congestion. The honey can help soothe a sore throat and adds a little extra sweetness (added bonus!)

I hope that these tips help you, if you are feeling under the weather.  Here’s to a healthy & Happy New Year! 

What are some natural ways that you treat a cold?

The post Tips for treating a cold without medicine appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Written by KT of One Organic Mama, Contributing Writer 

On the 9th day of Christmas, day2day joys gave to me…

Some beautiful, luxurious, sweet smelling bath salts, and a lovely lotion bar from Real Traditions.  These bath salts and lotion are handmade and all natural – they would make a fantastic gift for yourself or others!! 

Real Traditions is a company focused on providing herbs and natural remedies.  They believe that God created herbs with a purpose and that His gifts should be used to their fullest potential!! When they found out all herbs could do – they felt compelled to share their knowledge – and I am SO happy they did!  Every product is hand crafted at home, by the wonderful family at Real Traditions.  Many of their ingredients are organic and all are natural without any synthetics.  You must try these products for your family! They are amazing! 

Features of Real Traditions Bath Salts and Lotion Bar

• natural 
• chemical and preservative free
• filled with essential oils, flowers, herbs, and vanilla
• easy to use
• beautiful smelling
• handmade with care
• safe for your family

Now for my review:

I was given a lotion bar as well as bath salts, both to be used for “Sweet Dreams.” I used the bath salts first.  Because there are flowers and herbs in them, Real Traditions recommends putting them in a bath tea ball – which I don’t have.  I used a tied off piece of cheesecloth and that did the trick!  The bath was amazing and relaxing – and smelled so great!  My skin felt great right out of the bath… but my sampling wasn’t complete – I HAD to try the lotion!

The lotion bar is concentrated lotion and doesn’t waste any ingredients with water.  Because of this you only need a small amount.  You can take the bar out of its pretty case and rub it right on your skin (so much easier for squirmy kids!).  It smelled great – just like the salts and is super moisturizing! 

My skin felt soft and smelled great – and I was certainly ready for a good night of sleep!! 

What I Liked:

1. The smell
2. The feel
3. The convenience of the lotion, seriously
4. The relaxing feeling of being in a sweet smelling bath – I mean come one – when does mom get that opportunity!! 
5. The fact that it is TOTALLY safe for everyone in my family

What I didn’t Like:

1. Nothing!

You can Buy It!

Go to Real Traditions and see all they have to offer! You won’t be disappointed in the quality of their products. 

You can Win it!

Enter this giveaway! If you win, you will get a $27 credit from Real Traditions, plus free shipping! {This is the value of the herbal bath salts and lotion bar reviewed in this post) Use rafflecopter below!a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post 12 Days of Christmas {Day 9: Real Traditions Natural Products} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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On the 1st day of Christmas, day2day joys gave to me…

A safe and effective all-natural health approach to over-the-counter aids from Maty’s Healthy Products. These products are dedicated to promoting holistic health and wellness, providing a safe alternative to traditional medications with no side effects or drug interactions.

Maty’s Healthy Products is a family-operated business. They steer clear of artificial preservatives, color additives and artificial sweeteners: no corn, dairy, wheat, soy or yeast is added. All products are made gluten free and are manufactured in the USA using socially responsible practices.

The food-based ingredients in their natural products truly makes them unique. You can pretty much eat their products, they are so safe! 

Maty’s mission is to empower you with safe and natural alternatives so you gain better health and healing.

Features of Maty’s Healthy Products

• natural and organic ingredients
• chemical, preservative, & petroleum free
• products for the whole family
• made in the USA
• they’re committed to helping others

Now for my review:

I was given the all natural vapor rub, baby chest rub and cough syrup for the whole family.

I opened the box and our family dug in, well, not the baby. My husband opened each product which was nicely stored in a box fit to size, labeled with serving instructions. 

First we opened the vapor rub, we all agreed the scent was nice, but, not as nice as the baby chest rub, that was delightful. The baby’s chest rub has soothing notes of lavender and chamomile, it helps relax your baby for a peaceful nights’ sleep.

Then we got out a couple teaspoons and all tasted the cough syrup, especially since there are 10 immune boosters in every spoonful. Now, it’s not my favorite, as if you were going to sweeten some oatmeal, however, it’s for coughing or sore throats which would be totally doable in that case. It’s main ingredient is Buckwheat Honey which is one of the most antioxidant rich honeys on the planet. 

The products sat in out natural medicine cabinet until the other week when London, our 8 month old had some coughing and congestion, she and I even had to miss church. Our first line of defense and protection are chiropractic adjustments, thanks to Dr. Daddy, but then to soothe her, I rubbed some of the baby chest rub on her chest and feet and it did seem to help and clear up the congestion. 

What I Liked:

1. The products are safe, natural alternative for my family
2. They smell delightful
3. They work!!
4. They’re not overpriced

What I didn’t Like:

1. Nothing!

You can Buy It!

Go to Maty’s Healthy Products and see all they have to offer! You can also find the products in a store near you here. 

You can Win it!

Enter this giveaway! If you win, you will get these 3 products featured in this review: the All Natural Vapor Rub ($6.99) Cough Syrup ($7.99) and our Baby Chest Rub ($6.99), $21.97 value! Use rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Go check out the other 12 days here!

**ALL of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways end on December 8, 2014 at 11:59pm EST and is open to USA & Canada residents ONLY. One lucky winner will be chosen using rafflecopter and be notified by email. The winner will have 2 days to respond with their contact information, if they do not respond a new winner will be chosen. Must be 18 to enter. No purchase Necessary.

How do you keep the products in your house safe for your family? Which of these three products are you most interested in?

The post 12 Days of Christmas {Day 1: Maty’s Healthy Products} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

Written by Contributing Writer, Kari @ Living Strong Wellness 

Now that summer break is winding down and kids are heading back to school – we need to start becoming more proactive with our children’s health.

Don’t get me wrong, we should be proactive year round, but during the summer we’re outside more getting fresh air, we’re getting loaded with Vitamin D, getting more sleep and getting more exercise. With school back in session, our children are sitting in air conditioned schools, windows closed, anti-bacterial soap flowing down the halls, little outside time, little exercise and lots of germs.

Germs…

That one word freaks a lot of people out. This is why anti-bacterial soap is a multi-million dollar business. Think about it, though…if it really worked, why are schools filled with scores of sick kids and teachers all the time? I’m not an advocate of this ‘miracle’ germ cure. Not only does it kill bad bacteria – but it kills good bacteria as well, making you and your children more susceptible to germs, viruses and infections.

I’m also not a fan of the toxic ingredient, Triclosan, in the majority of these anti-bacterial soaps. Good ole hand soap and water works just fine. In fact, my son and daughter opt out of using anti-bacterial soap at school. They have been informed the past 4 years that they are to only use soap and water. They literally stand at the door as kids come in from recess and squirt that dangerous and hormone disrupting junk on the students hands. Not good.

It’s not bad hygiene that’s an issue (although it may contribute to some children’s constant sickness). It’s the internal health of the person. This is what will determine if sickness occurs or not.

Plain and simple: we need to boost the immune systems of our children and ourselves as we get back into the school routine.

We will all be surrounded by more germs, viruses and infections and our bodies will need the extra boost to keep the immune system strong and ready to fight any foreign invaders that enter the body!

There are many ways we can aid our immune system in remaining strong throughout the year, especially the school year and winter season. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather be proactive, daily taking care of my body and my child’s body to keep sickness from taking root, than having to do all I can to bring health back where sickness came in and took over.

This recipe is easy, quick and yields approximately 12 full strength servings (adults) and 24 half strength/diluted servings (children). I am fortunate to be able to purchase all these herbs in bulk at our local Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers. If you are not able to purchase these locally, you can purchase them online at places such as Bulk Herb Store and Mountain Rose Herbs! If you aren’t into making teas yourself and don’t want to order bulk herbs – you can also order the herbal tea blend from my Etsy shop – Glowing Mama. Each bag contains 12 adult servings or 24 youth servings. Each serving is 1 tablespoon of the herbal tea blend to 8 ounces of water.

It’s a great addition to your daily routine to help keep the immune system strong and functioning at optimum levels! This blend can be served hot or iced. It is always best to get organically grown herbs when buying in bulk, but if it’s not possible, get what is available to you. When ordering from Mountain Rose Herbs, you will be getting high quality, organic dried herbs that you can use safely and without worry of toxins. The other option is to grow what you can as well! That’s always an added plus and you know exactly how it is grown from seed to completion.

Kari’s Immune Strengthening Herbal Tea Blend

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 3 tablespoons dried Elderberries
• 3 tablespoons dried Rosehips
• 3 tablespoons dried Peppermint (use in adult blends) or 3 tablespoons dried Catnip (for children blends)
• 4 teaspoons dried Lavender
• 2 teaspoons dried Sage
• 2 teaspoons dried Hibiscus
• 1 teaspoon dried cut Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme

Here’s What You’ll Do:

1. Thoroughly combine all herbs in a large jar or large bowl.
2. Store in a sealed container (glass is best), but a sealed bag or other container will work.
3. Keep in a dark, cool place – such as the pantry.
4. To use, in a glass jar steep 1 tablespoon of herbal blend in 8 ounces of boiling, filtered water. For a tea, steep for anywhere from 3-8 minutes. For a stronger more potent beverage, you can make an infusion by steeping for around 20-30 minutes. You can place loose herbs in a muslin tea bag, tea ball or leave them loose in the jar.
5. When steeping is done, remove bag, ball or strain the herbs using a find mesh strainer.
6. Add RAW honey to sweeten and enjoy! ***

*** Adults can drink this directly after steeping. If making for children 12 and under, fill cup half way with tea/infusion, then add RAW honey, then add water to fill the rest of the cup.

What do you add to your daily routine to help keep your immune system strong and thriving?

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I am so blessed to have been a part of Day2Day Joys for a whole year now!  I enjoy getting to know you all through your comments and e-mails.  Thank you for sharing your life with me!

For my first contributing post here, I had shared my love for Shea Butter with my Natural Shea Butter Suncreen recipe.  My son has long struggled with eczema and psoriasis issues and most store bought sunscreens irritate his skin. Now we use Shea Butter in several other bath and body recipes in our home.  One of which is a homemade lip balm recipe.

Tea Tree and Lemon Oil Lip Balm

2 ounces Shea Butter

2 ounces Cocoa Butter

(or use 4 ounces of one of the above)

4 ounces Coconut Oil

4 ounces Beeswax (pellets or block)

1 ounce Avocado Oil

1-2 ounces liquid Vitamin E

5-10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

5-10 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Lip balm containers (tubes or rounds)

Measure Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and Beeswax into a crockpot.  Melt on low for 1-2 hours.  The beeswax takes the longest to melt.  It you use pellets, it is much faster.  When these ingredients have melted to a beautiful liquid gold, turn the crockpot down to warm.  Add Avocado Oil, Vitamin E and Essential oils.  Stir all ingredients together, then use a dropper to fill the tubes.  I usually make 30-50 lip balms at a time and then use the rest for lotion bars.  If you use chapstick tubes, you will get a little dent in the top as they cool.  Just fill that in with another drop of the melted mixture.

I made these as a Mother’s Day gift this year, but they are a thoughtful and useful gift for any time of the year!  Store them in the fridge or a cool place in your home until ready to use or giveaway.

Have you ever made any natural skincare products?

The post Tea Tree and Lemon Oil Lip Balm appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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