Avoid TOXIC dyes - dye your eggs NATURALLY

Easter is coming up in just a few short days! It is egg dyeing season!  Of course the Easter egg dye kits say the dye is edible and safe, but is it really?  I personally wouldn't trust this because if the egg is cracked and dye has gotten on the egg at all, you will be ingesting it. I don't care if the FDA labels this dye as safe, I won't eat it.  There are more natural ways to dye your Easter eggs without worrying about the hidden dangers.

Purple cabbage leaves will give your eggs a purple/blue/lavender color.  Don't be surprised if your eggs turn anywhere from a green color to purple or blue from the cabbage.  Simply boil the leaves in some water until you get a purple tint.

Black coffee without any creamer will turn your egg a dark grey color.

Boil some blueberries for a deep purple color.

Beets and paprika both work well for red.

The skin of yellow onion and tumeric will help to give your eggs a yellow color.

If you are looking for a green tint you will want to boil the peels of a green onion.  This will give a green/yellow look.

You are going to want to add some vinegar to each of these different mixtures so it sticks onto the egg.

Of course, the brown eggs will take much longer to dye as they are a darker shade than white eggs.  If you are planning on using brown eggs, you will want to leave it sit for a while.  If you want the eggs to be a very vibrant color, you may want to let them sit overnight.

Here are the eggs we dyed today!

Sanitize and Bleach Your Cloth Diapers Naturally With The Sun

Cloth diapering has really made a comeback within these last few years.  We cloth diaper for several reasons; it's cheaper, it's better for their skin and it's better for the environment.  The Honest Company does have nice chemical free diapers, but those too can be pricey for disposable.  With my first daughter I did a lot of the pocket diapers.  This time I'm using more prefolds with the covers.  My favorite brand so far are the rump-a-roos.  They tend not to leak and the elastic by the legs keeps the prefolds tucked in tightly.

Anyways, the sun has a natural way to bleach and sanitize your prefolds.  If you have any cloth diapers with stains, the sun will definitely get them out.

These are my cloth prefolds, right after washing.  As you can see, the poo stains are still there.  With the lighting, it is kind of hard to see, put if you look close enough they are definitely there.

Lay them in the sun for a few hours and they magically disappear!

I know a lot of mamas only sanitize and bleach their diapers once a week, but I do it every washing just so I'm left with white prefolds for the next changing.

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Free Oil - Nature Blend

Another free oil this month from Barefut Oils; nature blend.  The blend includes balsam fir, scotch pine and cedarwood.  This blend is said to help with skin conditions, metabolism and other health issues.  It also decreases stress and increases a better and more positive attitude and mood.  The antibacterial properties in this blend are so great it would make for a good cleaner as well.

I am really excited to try out this new oil.  I have never tried this blend before so it will be a new one for me.  The last few free oils from this company have been a citrus type, which is great, but it is also great to have change as well.  Also, they say that citrus essential oils break down the plastic, so I haven't been using them in my diffuser as much as I've been applying them on directly.

Head on over to get your Nature Blend for free and pay $3.99 for shipping.

Free Barefut Oil - Grapefruit

Barefut Oils has changed their free oil again.  Right now, the free oil is grapefruit.  I actually almost bought a grapefruit at my local health food store the other day, but am glad I waited.  Now I'll have my own free grapefruit oil.  Just pay $3.99 for shipping!  Grapefruit oil has many benefits including it being rich in antioxidants, great for acne, works amazing as a disinfectant and great for muscle stiffness.  Grapefruit oil also boosts the immune system.  Head on over to the website to order your free oil before the month of May is over.

Free Cedarwood Oil

Barefut Oils has a free cedarwood oil this month.  It isn't the best smelling one for the diffuser, but it is a great way to repel ticks or to mix with your bug spray while camping.  We make our own homemade bug spray using eucalyptus, cedarwood, peppermint, lemongrass and rosemary.  I can post the recipe in the nearby future if I have anyone who is interested.  Stop on over to Barefut Oils and order your free cedarwood oil.  They usually have two free oils for the month, so be sure to order your oil before the new free oil comes out.

Honey and Lavender as a Facial Cleanser

Cetaphil, Deep Clean Neutrogena, Clean and Clear foaming, Clean and Clear deep action, Clean and Clear Advantage are just a FEW of the many facial cleansers that I have used in my early teen years.  My acne never improved.  In fact, over the years it actually got worse.  Why?  Because all of these "facial cleansers" have nothing but garbage in them.  Chemical and chemical after chemical.  It's no wonder I had all the skin problems I did.  I tried all of the kits with the cleanser, black head scrubber, toner, and moisturizer and that made problems worse.

In my teen years, I figured out that I was allergic to perfumes and artificial fragrances.  I eliminated all of that out and tried a few natural facial cleansers at my local health food store.  Nothing was as effective as my honey/lavender mixture.

I have found all natural RAW honey mixed with a good quality of essential oil to be an amazing facial cleanser.  Make sure it is local.

For a toner I use Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar.  It is raw and unfiltered and definitely better than the cheaper apple cider vinegar you would find on the shelf.

I did actually hear that you need a moisturizer to train your skin to produce the right kind of oils.  It also protects your face.  I have always hated the way moisturizer felt on my face, but the natural moisturizer is definitely the way to go!  For a moisturizer I use a little bit of coconut oil.  You really don't need a lot, because a little goes a long ways!

So there you have it- a great facial treatment for any skin type is honey/lavender as a cleanser, apple cider vinegar as a toner and a coconut oil as a moisturizer.

I have noticed great improvement in my skin's appearance in just a short amount of time with this method.  I still do have skin problems including acne, but it is much more controlled now that it ever has been.

Bathroom Cleaner - Simply Safe

Clorox, Lysol and Scrubbing Bubbles...These were the chemicals I used to use to clean my bathroom. Did they do a great job? Yes! Did they kill all the germs? Most likely, yes! Were they free of chemicals and safe for your body? Absolutely NOT!

Every time I used these bathroom cleaners my eyes would burn, my throat felt as if I couldn't breathe and I had a sore throat for days.  Most people clean their bathrooms every week or every other week, which made for many sore throats!  I also developed a painfully itchy rash on my wrists and hands from being exposed to these chemicals.  I was to the point where my husband was forced to clean the bathroom, and after he did, I would have to use the spare bathroom for two days because of the lingering smell that would still irritate my skin and my eyes.  My body definitely disapproved of these products.  What was causing these reactions?

There are chemicals found in these popular products that are banned in Europe if they contain more than 3% of the chemical.  These products contain more than 10% of the chemical and are known to cause inflammation of the lungs.  Now, the whole sore throat thing is really making sense!

Butoxydiglycol, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Cocamidopropylamine oxide, dimethylethylbenzyl ammonium chloride.  Try saying these ingredients out loud.  Can you pronounce any of these chemicals?  My rule is, if you can't properly pronounce every ingredient in the list, you should not be using it.

What is a safer and healthier alternative?   Simply Safe.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks? YES!!!

I have been using "Simply Safe" bathroom cleaner.  Purified water, non-ionic surfactants, preservative, fragrance oils and other organic ingredients are the ingredients.  Those ingredients sound much better and the scent is so light I can barely smell it when it is used but it does a fantastic job!

I would definitely recommend this brand!

Natural Bar Soap For Sensitive Skin - Magnesium Soap

Magnesium is said to be a great supplement against to fight against eczema.  I do take it in liquid form, but there is just something different about applying it to the skin and it works so much better!

After I had all the knowledge I do now about chemical free soap, I switched to Kiss My Face soap and they had many great natural scents.  I still love the soap, but since my recent eczema break out, I have found something else a little more beneficial for my skin.  The soap is called Magnesium Soap by the brand Life Flo.

It is made of coconut, palm, avocado oil and castor seed.  There are also magnesium chloride flakes, clay and rosemary oil extract.  I am really impressed with the ingredients and love how it makes my skin feel.  There is no scent to this soap as it is great for those with sensitive skin. If you suffer from eczema, I would definitely recommend going this route!