Cold & Flu Season

As we enter into cold and flu season, I thought that I would like to the recipe that I use to make elderberry syrup. Elderberry syrup is SO easy to make. It provides a natural cure for cold and flu symptoms. I actually need to order some more berries today and make some. I was reminded to make it when all of 3 of my kids and I woke up with a cold this morning! Elderberry syrup is basically the same thing as the expensive Sambucol that you will find in the store. You can go here to see how to make homemade elderberry syrup.

My 2 Week Probiotic Trial Results

I was quite excited to get to try Member’s Mark 4X probiotics from Sam’s Club. I have used probiotics for quite a while. I do not even remember how long, but it has been a LONG time. I think that probiotics are so important for good health.

I have tried different brands throughout the years, and have found several that have worked great, and others that have not worked well at all. I can tell a huge difference in the way I feel if I am on probiotics or if I am off of them. Some probiotics that I have taken have felt like I was not taking them at all. So, I have been spending a fortune on probiotics over the past few years. While I strongly believe in probiotics, and am willing to spend the money needed to take them, it has been expensive.

I was quite excited to be trying Member’s Mark 4X probiotics because I have heard from a friend that it works well, and it is relatively inexpensive! I replaced the probiotics that I had been taking with Member’s Mark 4X probiotics for the the past two weeks. AND, I am quite excited to say that I was very pleased with the results! The probiotics worked great!

When I am not on probiotics, I have all sorts of stomach issues, and I just don’t feel well. However, when I was taking Member’s Mark 4x Probiotics, I felt great over the past two weeks.

I had my eldest daughter and husband replace their probiotics with Member’s Mark 4X probiotics as well, and they were pleased with the results as well.

None of us felt any different than we felt using the more expensive probiotics that we had been using. I am quite excited to have found a less expensive yet just as effective probiotic for my family to take!

You can read more about my reasons for taking probiotics in this post.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own and have not been reviewed by anyone else.

Organic After School Snacks

While I would love to say that I always give my kids nutritious, fresh, raw & made from scratch foods . . . sometimes life comes up (being on bedrest etc.) & I have to go for convenience foods. Here are some organic snacks that Mariana recommends. While I have not tried many of these since I prefer to make my own or just go with some fruit, veggies or nuts . . . here are some alternatives that are healthier than their non organic counterparts.

Healthy Living: Top 3 Organic After School Snacks 

Let’s face it: the organic food industry sometimes takes advantage of the environmentally concerned consumer. No doubt, organically grown food has its benefits, as do different types of locally grown produce and veggies. The key to successful, practical (organic and healthy food) grocery shopping: be selective!  If you’re on a tough budget, you may not be able to buy everything organic. Instead, look for the must-haves, in terms of normal pesticide content, nutrition content, and of course price range! Some foods are known to have higher contents of pesticides than others (when grown in large scale industrial farms) such as strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, and apples. You may want to shop organic for those!

What do you do when you have some hungry kids after school is out? In my opinion, it is best to splurge a bit on the snacks! You can find some cheap options as well.  Here are some of my favorites, which are both affordable and absolutely DELICIOUS!

Amy’s Pizza Snacks:

Amy’s is my favorite brand for both organic and vegetarian options. She offers a variety of breakfast foods, homemade meals, and SNACKS. My kids adore her pizza snacks, and I don’t feel guilty giving them these! Made with organic wheat, skim milk, organic tomato paste, and even organic honey, each box of Amy’s pizza snacks doesn’t come with too hefty of a price tag! You can usually get a box for less than $4 or $5! They come in three different varieties: cheese pizza, spinach pizza, and nacho snacks. You can also use these as appetizers for your friends during cocktail parties or group happy hours! They are sure to attract a lot of positive attention!

Tasty Brand Snacks REALLY ARE TASTY!

One of my favorite snacks as a kid: fruit snacks. I loved Gushers, Fruit Rollups, and any cartoon shaped bag of preservatives I could get my hands on. Organic wasn’t that common just a decade ago! Now, I can feel better about my kids eating these great snacks after school! Tasty Fruit Snacks come in three different varieties, and each box is only marginally more expensive than regular fruit snacks.

EnviroKidz: Help Your Kids Eat Healthy and Be Environmentally Conscious!

EnviroKidz Panda Puffs are one of my kids favorite cereals! They often want a bowl of cereal or just dry cereal when they come home from school. This cereal is organic, made from corn, and has a delicious peanut butter coating! Get it for your kids online or at a supermarket today!

By-line:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online college. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

12 Ways To Reduce Your Exposure To Toxins For Free

  1. Grow your own fruits in vegetables in an organic garden. Anyone can do this!
  2. To reduce PFC exposure, don’t buy wrinkle free clothes & iron.
  3. Leave dry cleaned clothes in the garage unwrapped for a couple of days.
  4. Let your mattress air out when changing sheets.
  5. Open your windows to air out your house.
  6. Avoid antiperspirant in cooler months or when not at work. Consider making your own deodorant or buying a natural deodorant. 
  7. Trade table salt for sea salt.
  8. Try not to use PTFE lined pans, but if you do, heat on low.
  9. Don’t use plastic in the microwave, use glass instead or heat food on the stove.
  10. Store your food in glass containers rather than plastic containers.
  11. Pull your weeds by hand or use vinegar, don’t use herbicides.
  12. Use natural methods to kill bugs rather than using poison. Check out these posts for tips:

 

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Homemade Beauty Products & Cleaners

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our family loves to make our own green and frugal products. We have been trying to eliminate the need for chemicals in our lives, and honestly many times it can be cheaper to make your own products! Here are a few of the products that we use and enjoy!

For tough surface stains (i.e. you spill something on the stovetop and it burns.)

  • Mix vinegar and salt and scrub.
  • Also, you can pour some baking soda and vinegar on a damp sponge. This cleans and deodorizes kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent:

Laundry Softener:

  • Use 1/2 cup vinegar in the washer as laundry softener.

 

To Clean The Oven:

  • Sprinkle salt on stains while the oven is still warm. When the oven has cooled off, scrape off the stains.
  • Use baking soda and vinegar on a cool stove.
Glass Cleaner:
  • Mix one part water and one part vinegar together in a spray bottle. Spray on glass surfaces and wipe off.
For insect control - Ants (sprinkle or spray the following where they are entering):
  • white vinegar
  • powdered red chill pepper
  • borax (this is poisonous, so use caution)
  • paprika
  • dried peppermint
  • black pepper

Grease stains on clothing:

  • Immediately pour salt on grease spots. This absorbs the grease to help prevent staining. (I am so glad I discovered this! I was forever ruining clothes with grease stains!)

Laundry and cloth starch:

  • Get 2 cups of cold water and mix in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a spray bottle. I like to add a couple drops of lavender essential oil since it smells good, but this is just to add a scent. Shake well before each use.
Homemade Laundry Detergent:

Cheap & Easy DIY shampoos and conditioners:

 

 

After shave:

  • witch hazel
  • diluted isopropyl alcohol

Deodorants:

  • We have tried all sorts of deodorants that we have made. You can use baking soda, white clay or make your own with coconut oil and baking soda. But, my favorite is actually deodorant crystals. These are relatively cheap & require no effort at all!  The cost was $6.99 at the time of this post, but they last for an entire year.

Toothpastes:

I have experimented with several different recipes. Here are a couple of my favorite:

Homemade Toothpaste 1:

  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 Tablespoon baking soda
  • 2 drops peppermint oil, or cinnamon oil

Homemade Toothpaste 2:

  • 6 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons glycerin
  • 15 drops peppermint

Just mix the toothpaste, store in a container with a lid and use. If you use the coconut oil version, make sure to use hot water to rinse what you spit out down the sink.

Mouthwash:

  • Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Turn off the stove. Add 1 handful of dried thyme. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the thyme, and you have your mouthwash! I add a couple of drops of peppermint to help the flavor. Thyme has many antibacterial properties. I store this in the refrigerator, rather than in my bathroom.

Soap:

  • I do make my own soap. However, that will require a really long post someday with instructions, so for now I will just suggest castille soap.

Perfumes:

  • Use essential oils.

Homemade Face Mask, Homemade Face Scrub, Homemade Hand Softener, Homemade Hair Mask:

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