Don’t forget to read Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101 before you get started.

My fave links:

Channel your inner princess with homemade body glitter: I don’t do makeup, but I admit it; I am sort of into my sparkles from time to time. This would also make a wonderful gift for a child.

Homemade beeswax lip balm: Too many ads at this site, but a good recipe.

End of summer body scrub

A cool collection of lotion bars – I’ve altered many of them, but they give a great jumping off point, and some I like just how they are. These are nice because they’re non-messy.

Nice starter cleansing cream recipe: Alter with fruits, milks, or oils if you like.

Plus one random recipe I’ve never tried: Homemade Deodorant Recipe

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

[homemade body glitter image via: Beauty Den]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Here are a few plain old honey skin applications. If you’re using it on your skin, I’d use organic.

Plain honey for the honey pat or tap: Pour a little honey into a cup, use your fingers to scoop honey onto your face. Tap your fingers all over your face until the honey stops dripping and becomes tacky (it will become tacky). Leave for ten minutes and rinse. Easy and it works so well for cleaning that you’ll be amazed.

Apple honey cleansing toner: I don’t remember where I got this recipe – it’s not one of mine though. I’ve had it forever and I love it. Just toss one peeled and cored apple (any kind) into a blender with a tablespoon or two of honey, and a teaspoon of aloe. Blend to death. Apply mixture to face, drink a cup of tea, rinse. Hello fresh face!

Creamy honey milk scrub: I don’t like this one as well, but have a friend who swears by it. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of cream with two tablespoons ground oatmeal and 2-3 tablespoons of honey. Scrub and rinse. I like this better for body than face.

Don’t forget to read: Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Both of these work on all skin types except ultra sensitive. If you have very sensitive skin you can omit part of the scrubby ingredients (i.e. almonds or bran) but try a little on your arm before using.

Almond, Apricot, & Honey Face Scrub

You need:

• 1/2 organic apricot at room temperature
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 tablespoon Honey
• Optional – a teaspoon of dried lavender

To make:

Put everything in a blender and blend together. Scrub onto face and rinse with warm water. Usually there’s a little left-over, so scrub your elbows while your at it. This scrub leaves a fantastic smell lingering.

Green Tea, Almond, & Bran Scrub

You need:

• 1/2 cup hot strongly brewed organic green tea
• 1/4 cup coarse wheat bran (you can find this in the bulk grocery section)
• 1/4 cup ground almonds

Optional:

• 2 drops tea tree essential oil
• 1 drop lavender essential oil

To make:

Mix the bran and almonds into the hot green tea until a nice paste forms. Cool. Add essential oils. If you want to make this into a whole body scrub use 3/4 cup green tea, and double the almonds and bran. Also add about 1/4 cup rich olive oil. The oil will separate the scrub some, but not too much. For a full body scrub you can add more essential oils too.

Before making read: Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[images via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

In other news, I got a new camera, so now I can take pictures of our little outings – of course, not well. A photographer I’m not. My best friend is, so maybe she should have been the one taking pictures. Sadly her camera is all fancy and weighs like 10 pounds, so unless she plans ahead, she doesn’t bring the camera.

That said, you’re left with me and my pictures.

We saw cool flowers and plants like… Sedum

And tons of beautiful spring trees.

This was my favorite bush/tree but I have no clue what type it is – do you know?

Here’s a close up – if you know, leave a comment

Cedar ran into the woods and I haven’t seen him since.

Just kidding.

What the heck did Bella find?

Ducks! The ducks were odd – they followed us around. And we were not feeding them. Maybe they thought Bella was a fellow duck, since she tried to jump into the pond about fifty times.

We searched high and low and only saw one frog (or maybe it’s a toad). He was cute, but I wanted to see his friends. The last time we went there were frogs everywhere. Can you find him in the picture?

Cedar actually took tons of pictures when we went to the pond. Sadly he took the batteries out and erased all his photos. If you have family photos to share of your nature adventures send them in. We’ve had other families featured here before like…

• Mysti’s little one fishing!
  
• Kate’s two seriously adorable children in a field.
• Hilary’s cute kids
• And my little Cedar, when he was actually little and big time into jumping into the ocean.

If you only want to see pictures of Cedar and Peggy’s cat Choco over and over, we can do that, but we’d much rather see your family out and about in nature. Come to think of it, I believe Choco is an indoor kitty, so, no nature for Choco. All the more reason to send in your own pictures.

If you send in some cool nature pictures we’ll post them up – it’s a nice way to encourage other families to get out there and explore nature. Better yet, give your child the camera, and let them take some shots to send in.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Any herb face and body cream:

Pick a herb. You can use most any herb, but I suggest choosing one that’s good for your particular skin type. You can use elderflower, calendula, linden blossom, and more. If you’d like to make a cream for children I suggest comfrey or chamomile, which are gentle.

Gather supplies:

• 4oz fresh organic herb of your choice (or 2oz dried) – fresh is best
• 150 ml almond oil, or if olive oil is too rich for your tastes, try almond or apricot oil – just be sure it’s a nice quality oil
• Two tablespoons beeswax
• Two tablespoons organic cocoa butter
• Two teaspoons honey – if you can aim for a high quality raw honey you can use processed honey, but your cream will be a little less thick
• One teaspoon borax

To make:

1. Place herbs in glass or pottery bowl and pour 1/3 pint boiling water over them. Steep for 4 hours. If the water looks too low, you can add a bit more.
2. Into a small double boiler (that’s already boiling) add: oil and beeswax – slowly melt beeswax.
3. Add cocoa butter and melt.

In another pot that’s being warmed but not boiled:

1. Add 1/3 pint of your herbal infusion – liquid only
2. Add borax, and stir until dissolved.
3. Add honey, and stir until dissolved.

Remove both bots from heat. Mix contents of both pots together – it works best if you add the infusion mixture to the oil mixture slowly. Beat mixture until creamy – as soon as it starts to cool it’ll thicken and be harder to beat so start right away.

Store in little containers. Sometimes I’ve added tea tree or other essential oils to this mix as well. If you add oils do it during the last stage – the mixing part. Remember to check and see which mixtures of herbs and oils will work for your skin. This cream DOES NOT need to be kept in the fridge. Most lotions do, so this is a huge plus.

If you want to give this as a gift, you can pick up a thrift store, antique looking lotion pot – just be sure to include ingredients on a little card for the recipient, you don’t want to risk them being allergic to a herb or oil.

Before getting started don’t forget to read: Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

I’ve written this basic safety sheet that you can follow regarding the safety of homemade beauty products; products either with or without therapeutic benefits. If you’re going to make your own homemade beauty products, please make sure to read this all the way through. From now on, this important post, will be posted in the sidebar pages to the right, if you need to refer to it again.

The following tips apply for products like homemade skin care, cosmetics, soaps, health treatments (like massage oil or steams), and even items such as homemade art supplies, which are remarkably similar to homemade beauty products.

Always talk with an expert – otherwise known as the, “You are responsible for your own health” speech.

I know a lot about oils, homemade products, flowers, and herbs. I’ve worked as a doula, went through nursing school, and just generally picked up stuff from experts I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve also done a lot of self experimenting over the last ten plus years.

However, the best advice is that I’m not a licensed holistic doctor or a professional in the field of aromatherapies, herbs for health, or anything like that. While my goal is to help, not harm anyone, a small blog post cannot explain all that could go wrong with a product or every situation on a personalized basis.

Essential oils, herbs, and all other related items that go into homemade products are complex topics. Methods of use are also complex. If you’re not an expert in oils and herbs, or someone with plenty of self experience, you should always talk with a professional health care provider before experimenting. Be it a traditional or holistic care provider this step is important because you may be on a medication or vitamin that can interact with a herb or oil, you may be allergic, or you may have a health concern that dictates you not use a specific item.

You can and should also invest in a good guidebook. One of my favorites about essential oils is The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. She also has a pocket guide out now. As for books about herbs, I like The Complete Book of Herbs and A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs.

Basic homemade beauty product safety tips:

• Homemade beauty and health products are made to be tweaked and recipes often personalized. Not every product works for every individual.

• Just because it’s natural does not make it 100% safe. You could be allergic, or a certain herb may make you ill. So be aware of side effects just as you would be with a store bought facial peel, hair color, or medication.

• Tweaking of homemade beauty products is perfectly safe, so long as all other basic safety recommendations are followed.

• Everyone really should do test dabs of new homemade products. If you have especially sensitive skin (scalp included) then you really need to do tests dabs. To do a test dab, take a little bit of a homemade product and dab it on your inner arm. You can actually do test dabs with individual ingredients instead, like cedar oil, before using it in a product. Cover the dab with a bandage. If you develop red, burning, itching, pain, or any other issue it’s likely you should toss that product you just made. You can also tweak the recipe to make it work for you.

• Unless you’re a chemist, and really into experimenting, your homemade products should be preservative free. That’s good news for your health, bad news for the life of said product. If there’s anything questionable in your product, that may go bad, keep it in the fridge. Make smaller batches so you can use it up before you end up having to toss a product. Lotions and some hair colors are important to keep in the fridge, while things like soaps and sugar scrubs are not.

Basic essential oil buying tips:

If you want oils for therapeutic, not just fragrance reasons, than follow these tips…

1. Buy pure and organic essential oils. You can easily tell if you’re getting a pure oil by price. You should never see a shelf of oils priced identically. Orange, lavender, and geranium oils for example differ widely in cost to produce and thus buy. If all the oils are $10 it’s a fact you’re getting fake oils.
2. Reputable sellers will bottle in dark colored bottles to protect the oil from sunlight.
3. Take blotter paper with you when you shop for oils. Oils, ironically, are not that oily. Most pure oils when dropped onto a bit of blotting paper will quickly evaporate. A fragrance (fake oil) will leave an oily mark usually.

Basic essential oil safety tips:

• Never use straight essential oil drops. You have to dilute in a carrier oil (sometimes called a base oil). I like sweet almond oil as a carrier but if you’re allergic to nuts try another, like apricot. Both of the above a light, and won’t clog your pores up. There are lots more to try and in a pinch I’ve used olive oil as a carrier.

• The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) recommends that you not ingest essential oils when another application such as massage may be just as appropriate. Some recipes with oils, say for a sore throat or mouth rinse for oral health do involve swishing, and some health remedies involve oils in teas or other drinks. The potential risks of ever putting an oil in your mouth should be carefully weighed before doing so.

• Keep oils out of the reach of little ones. If your child ingests any essential oil, treat it like any other medication or household product, and call poison control.

Basic flower and herbal safety tips:

• Use organic herbs and flowers.

• Know your herb and flower. If you grow it yourself, clearly label the plant (unless you’re a plant genius). Using the wrong herb in a soap could be bad news if you’re allergic.

• Herbs and flowers in beauty products can harm your skin, just like any old store bought product. Natural and safe are not always simultaneous as some might have you think.

• Herbs and flowers work slower than oils and medications. If you create homemade products with a slant toward healing properties it may take longer to work than other products.

MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS:

If you are pregnant: NEVER use essential oils, herbs, or other natural items in care products for health or beauty until your midwife or doctor gives you the go-ahead. Some of the above can cause birth complications, harm your baby, or induce a far too early labor. Even by just putting an oil on your skin, you could cause a problem. There are plenty of safe natural items for pregnancy, but, if off the top of your head, you can’t name them all, then check with your prenatal care provider first.

Babies and elderly individuals: Actually there’s research that notes that natural homemade products can be just as good for little ones and the elderly as anyone. However, it’s commonly recommended that you cut recipes down to a smaller size. For example, if a recipe for a bath soak calls for 12 drops of lavender oil, you’d want to cut that by 1/3 or more for a baby or elder adult. Of course, also follow all the normal precautions listed above as well.

More information:

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy

The Herb Research Foundation

[all photos via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Many of us are welcoming spring today, so I thought it would be nice to go over some nature loving, tree hugging, eco-friendly ideas that will carry the entire family through the better part of spring and into summer.

1. Quit looking at nature through your frosty windows. It’s warming up, so get out there and enjoy nature in real time, in real life, in full blown color.

2. Throw open your windows wide and let in the fresh air. Natural ventilation is actually a really effective green home goal to aim for. Proper cross ventilation naturally helps to remove any indoor pollution caused by molds, mites, varnishes, paints, cleaners, and more.

3. Have a spring reusable bag sewing party.

4. Use the spring lilacs to create something sweet.

5. Celebrate spring like other cultures do:

• In Egypt, you throw open your windows and breathe deep on the first day of spring. Later have a picnic.
• In Poland a large straw doll is dressed up in old clothes, and then thrown in the river – ok, maybe don’t do that one (not great for fish).
• The festival of colors, or Holi, is a Hindu spring festival, observed in North India and Nepal where children squirt colored water on each other to celebrate.
• What other spring traditions do cultures celebrate? Tell me what you know.

6. See the zoo babies.

7. Try left-over heat cooking for your spring recipes. This means turn the stove top or oven off when food is almost done. Pasta, veggies, rolls, and even meats in the oven will be ok (and fully cooked) if you turn off the heat a few minutes early. Just leave the oven door shut, the pot top on, etc. Imagine how many minutes of energy you will have saved by next spring.

8. Enjoy new blossoms and leaves sprouting to life on the trees.

9. Build a rain barrel to collect spring showers.

10. Rent lawn equipment that you know you will only use occasionally.

11. Alternatively, start a neighborhood co-op of lawn equipment. Purchase together and share major item.

12. Visit a waterfall – this is the best time of year for waterfalls, snow is melting, and the water comes crashing down.

13. Spring clean – just don’t spring clean with chemicals and other icky stuff. Make this year’s spring cleaning actually clean and healthy.

14. Learn which fruits and veggies are in season and eat bunches of them. Buying in season and locally grown is better for the earth, your wallet, and your health.

15. Choose a recycled plastic picnic table.

16. Fold a “springing” froggy out of recycled paper.

17. If your coffee shop of choice serves single serve sugars and creamers, choose a new favorite coffee shop or ask them to get large, bulk containers of cream and sugar.

18. Visit a wetland area – there are still enough wetland areas so that it’s safe to assume that there’s one near you, but there may not be for long. Without conservation we could lose some major wetland areas. I’d visit soon because it’s not clear yet that enough people care to save them. Ask your local visitors center where you can find a wetland area near you.

19. Get some cool spring worthy eco-toys. These new toys from Green Toys are created from curbside recycled milk containers. The actual shop should be open in the spring sometime, but until then you can contact the company directly with purchase inquiries. They have a great Sand Play Set or Organic Gardening Set.

20. Is it still too cold for flowers where you live? Make some colorful recycled tissue paper garlands to add spring to your house. (Use that used holiday tissue that I know you saved). Better yet, make a garland and give it to a neighbor, friend, elderly home, or children’s ward at a hospital.

21. Rejoice in spring flowers.

22. Help your kids to join Journey North.

23. Buy a reclaimed wood garden bench so you can sit outside and read.

24. This season, and each season have your car engine tuned up and serviced. Following a decent tune up schedule will reduce the amount of pollution your car emits by 20%. Better yet you’ll save on fuel – good for the earth and wallet.

25. Hunt for birds nests – don’t touch though, just look.

26. Build your own compost bin for recycling spring garden and kitchen scraps.

27. Visit a rural farm. Notice how a farm in spring differs from where you live. Unless of course you do live on a farm – then visit a city park and observe the same differences.

28. Go ahead, green your entire Easter celebration.

29. Or at least make your own recycled magazine Easter baskets.

30. If you go on a green picnic this spring make sure six packs with plastic rings aren’t on the menu. One, the plastic rings when not cut can kill birds, fish, and other wildlife. Two, plastic won’t degrade until well after your great grandchildren are celebrating their springs. And three, there’s no need to have them. Many canned drink products now come in boxes instead of with rings. If you’re buying canned drinks, get those instead.

31. Get some eco-friendly rain gear for the whole family so you can go splash in spring puddles.

32. Get your spring garden seeds organized using recycled milk cartons.

33. Rent a greener car on your spring break vacation.

34. Don’t defrost the Easter Ham in the microwave. Microwave defrosting wastes more energy than planning ahead and defrosting in the fridge.

35. Go searching for the end of a rainbow.

36. You still have time for a spring garden clean up.

37. This year combine your spring cleaning with some green audits: Try green auditing your trash, bathroom, or your pantry.

38. Get in the habit of nighttime watering now. Watering your lawn and garden is much more efficient at night than in the daytime. In the cool of evening plants lose almost 50% less water than in the heat. That adds up to a ton of water saved each year. Of course you can double your water saving efforts by using your saved rainwater.

39. On each of your spring outings pick up one piece of trash. If everyone did this that would be over 300 million fewer pieces of litter on our streets, in our parks, and so on, daily.

40. Relax… think about simplifying your life and time.

41. As summer gets closer consider organizing a summer toy lending program with other families – this cuts down on consumption, teaches kids about sharing, and uses fewer resources and energy. Get ideas for your lending program here.

42. Now that it’s warming up, turn your heating down by 5 more degrees. Each 5 degree decrease saves up to 11% energy consumption a year.

43. If you go camping, leave nothing behind in nature. Pack up all your belongings and carry them out of the forest with you.

44. Get up close and personal with some fresh grass – ponder a single blade. Think about all the good reasons why you shouldn’t add chemical poisonous fertilizer to your grass this year

45. Get that recycling under control.

46. Learn to love slow mail – the quicker you send your mail or ask for packages to be delivered to you, the worse it is for the planet. Transportation is hugely connected to pollution and global warming. The more transport we require the worse it is. Quit with the two day mail services. You don’t need stuff right away, and if you know you will, plan accordingly.

47. Try out one of 10 great organic gardening projects for kids this spring.

48. See how many toads you can count at the local river or lake. Can you find tadpoles too?

49. If you take out an off-road vehicle this spring, stick to where you should be. Running over habitats is not cool – you could destroy an animal’s home, kill rare plants, and harm tree roots. Stick to wide trails that are deemed ok for off-road travel.

50. Get away from it all. Imagine what life would be like away from all the hustle and bustle most of the time.

51. Blow bubbles! Make some homemade bubble mix out of a tablespoon of glycerin, a cup of natural liquid soap, and a gallon of water (give or take). Make your own bubble wands out of recycled items like…

• Butter or yogurt tub tops with holes punched in them.
• Green plastic strawberry containers.
• Bent wire hangers.
• That fly swatter you never use.
• Pipe cleaners bent into fun shapes.

52. Hang out with a family of ducks.

53. Dare your family to take at least 5 small steps for the environment by summer.

54. Go on a wildflower hike.

55. Clean out your closets – give good clothing away to the thrift store, make cleaning rags out of the worst, and save the cherished pieces for a memory quilt.

56. Make sure your family participates in eco-friendly boating (if you boat).

57. Slap a fresh coat of paint on the house – non-toxic, VOC-free paint of course.

58. When spring cleaning, don’t forget the car. However, use a bucket of water and an old rag to scrub away dirt, not the power spray on the hose. Every minute you run the hose you’re wasting 10 (or more) gallons of water. There are people in other countries who can’t even find one decent glass of water to drink, and animals and fish who have lost whole water habitats due to water waste. There’s no excuse for excessive water waste.

59. Go bicycling as a family – double your efforts by actually having an errand destination; the grocery store, library, the park for lunch. Every time you don’t take your car, you’re doing the earth some good.

60. Plant a tree – it’s almost always a good time to plant a tree, but spring is really nice because a new tree’s roots won’t be shocked by the cold anytime soon.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Journey North allows kids to participate in a huge “Global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change.” It’s set up so that K-12 students can share their personal field observations with other students across North America.

However, anyone can participate; you don’t have to be a kid in school.

How it works is kids track spring coming by observing the migration patterns of animals, watching for plants starting to sprout, looking for sunlight changes, and more.

Some of the wildlife that kids can learn to observe through this program include; monarch butterflies, robins, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, gray whales, bald eagles, and many more. The program highlights include, “Migration maps, pictures, standards-based lesson plans, activities and information to help students make local observations and fit them into a global context.”

It’s a really exceptional idea, and now, with spring on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to join in. Little kids can have their parents help them so reading skills are a moot point.

How to get involved:

First you register and then you can submit your own sightings. You’ll also receive weekly news reports about what’s happening each week.

Next kids can take a look at the orientation process, and then get involved in one of the numerous projects happening on the site. All of the different projects show how season changes are all interconnected. Following, from the Journey North site, are the programs, or projects, that kids are working on:

• “Sunlight and the Seasons: Children study seasonal change in sunlight in a global game of hide and seek called Mystery Class.

• Plants and the Seasons: Children explore tulip growth in their own gardens, running an experiment that tracks the arrival of spring.

• Seasonal Migrations: Children follow animal migrations. They observe, research, and report findings and watch journeys progress on live maps.”
  

The site is full of videos and photos made just for kids. There’s also a great (and simple) Year-at-a-Glance Timeline to follow. Plus there is also a teacher’s resource center, offering lesson help related to seasonal topics, and helpful handouts and much more. While it says, “Teacher’s Resources” this section could easily be used by a parent as well.

This is a really wonderful programs that encourages kids to fully immerse themselves in the planet, and allows them to learn how small actions affect everything. Cedar and I are joining this year, hopefully we’ll see some of you there, submitting sightings.

Let me know if your family joins Journey North.

UPDATE: Journey North notes, “Your links about the different projects kids can work on go to the wrong place. You’ll find links to all of the current season’s projects here.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

They have higher priced goods that would make great heirloom gifts for a new baby such as amazingly simple yet gorgeous hemp/organic cotton wall prints. My personal favorite is this little turtle:

They also have prints of the same line (so like-wise colors and look) but in bunnies and deer.

Or you could go with beautifully made, inexpensive, handcrafted wooden baby rattles. Made from wood offcuts and filled with Indian corn. To top it off they’re polished with baby safe mineral oil and bees wax. Available in Maple or Black Cherry.

Last up a super sweet baby gift — and at a great price. These Organic Baby Bunches contain clothing made with 100% super-soft unbleached organic cotton set among recycled paper leaves and colored flowers. Each Organic Bunch Includes: One Bib, One T-shirt, One Hat, Two pairs of socks and One Onesie. Plus how cute is the box! Available in Apricot, Pink or Blue.

If you know a baby (or happy parents) in need of a wonderful gift this season you can’t do much better than Wildflower Organics.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

There are lots of ways to plan an eco-friendly birthday but today it’s all about cake design. If I decide I should work on my birthday I may be back with tips; if not look for those tomorrow.

If you’re planning an eco-friendly birthday you might as well go all the way and even make it a theme party. Here are some amazing cake ideas that can help.

You have to visit Pink Cake Box to read more about this cake below. Whenever I need a cool cake for a post my first stop is always Pink Cake Box and they never disappoint.

I can’t tell if this next one is real or not but if it is real it sure is sweet.

I really love this next one.

And because it’s not all about me; here’s a super easy World Tree Cake that you and your kids can make right now.

Simple and it would look great with decorations of little frosting apples or flowers. Get instructions here.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family