7 Healthy & Clean DIY Substitutes I Use
When I began re-vamping my health a few years ago, I quickly realized that it needed to go beyond just the products I was putting into my mouth. As I became more aware of chemicals and the excess ingredients in most personal and cleaning products I used, I began the hunt for ones I could easily replace. These 7 that I’ve listed are the ones I’ve used the most consistently and for the longest. Other products I have switched to purchasing cleaner versions instead, but these have been great because they not only are better for me but save a ton of money. Personal Health DIY Toothpaste – This was one of the very first products I started making when I began my journey into healthier living. I have had several dentist appointments since then and my teeth have never been healthier! There are a few caveats due to
When People Just Need a Listening Ear
I’m sure you, like me, many times find the pain and suffering of your friends and family to be overwhelming. My first instinct is to offer advice (which is many times simply my opinion) and my desire is to try to alleviate their pain. Neither of those are bad things, but are they the best things? What if all I’m called upon to do, and all they really need, is a listening ear? I just finished a book by Bob Beaudine called 2 Chairs. The premise is the importance and life-changing possibilities from meeting with Jesus daily, visualizing Him in the chair next to you. While I have been having a morning quiet time for the past 20+ years (Daily Time with My Best Friend), this book reminded me of the importance of not doing all the talking. But asking questions and then listening for His answers. As I’ve incorporated
Healthy Summer Desserts
What would life be without dessert?? Boring, I say!!! My Pinterest binder of recipes (you can find more in my post Organizing My Pinterest Recipes) is about one-third desserts and all other food categories make up the other two-thirds. When I began my health journey several years ago and found out I had intolerances to both dairy and wheat, my doctor turned me on to the website www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com. What a lifesaver! You will find several of the healthy summer desserts I share are from this wonderful site. So the recipes I chose to share in this post are all either no-bake or you can bake them in a toaster/convection oven so you do not have to heat up your kitchen. I love cookies BUT I don’t love opening and closing my oven and sticking my head in there several times over an hour+ time frame! So I usually save cookies
Quarantine Reflections – Positives We Can Take Into the Future
As lives and schedules begin to return to “normal” over the next few months, I’ve heard from several who are asking, “Do we want to return to what we were doing before we were forced to slow down?” For many, the answer is a huge NO. But if we’re not intentional enough to stop and reflect and then create a plan, in a very short time, we will find ourselves back in the same rat race. So what lessons can we take from this recent mandatory quarantine as we move into the future? Lesson #1: Slowing Down is Not a Bad Thing Many times over the last few months, I found myself ever-so-grateful that this quarantine took place in 2020 and not 10 or 15 years ago when my children were at home and in the middle of school and every kind of activity. For me, life did not change
Serenity Prayer: Lessons from the Last 8 Lines
Most of us are probably familiar with the first four lines of the Serenity Prayer. But how many of us are familiar with the last eight? When I read the remainder of this prayer that was written almost 80+ years ago by Reinhold Niebuhr, it caught my attention and has stayed with me whenever I found myself in a time of crisis. I would say America, which means all of us, is currently in a time of crisis, wouldn’t you? The Serenity Prayer has been used by Alcoholics Anonymous and many other 12-step programs for decades. I’m sure you’ve seen it printed on greeting cards, bookmarks, and throughout social media. But for the most part, it stops after the first four lines. I wonder why? Here is the entire prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and
Favorite Summer Salads
There’s nothing better than a light, refreshing salad during the hot summer months. And in Arizona our hot months are HOT and LONG! So our summer salad vs. winter soup ideas need to be up to the challenge. Here are our family’s favorite summer salad recipes, and they are always crowd pleasers whenever they are shared with friends. As I stated in my One Dish Stove-Top Recipes post, I’m including the original post along with changes I have made for either taste, health, or dietary reasons. Enjoy! Cold or Side Salads ~ some may be great for side dishes and others will make a meal of their own. Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing Original Recipe: https://www.shelikesfood.com/crunchy-broccoli-salad/?fbclid=IwAR0UUh-Ap4Lt4S6fA9DN8G57SZlk5ZQLaW2prfSgn-l3GUsZThNgFOB6a7A Hands down, this is not only a family favorite but any time I share it with friends, everyone wants the recipe. It is perfect as is, but I do make a few
