Vitiligo

What in the world is vitiligo? Honestly, I had no idea what it was either until a few years ago. Vitiligo is a disease that causes a loss of skin color in blotches. It is not certain where vitiligo comes from, but a lot think that is an autoimmune disease.

About 3-4 years ago we noticed a white spot on my son's hip. We all assumed it was a birthmark; a few years go by and the spot is noticeably larger and he has more white spots all over him. Last summer they were big enough that other people noticed them and started asking what was wrong with him? Doesn't that make you want to hurt those kind of people? :)

Someone told me that it looked like vitiligo. So, I googled it, and sure enough that is what his spots were. I then started to ask a lot of questions to anyone I saw who had it too. Does it hurt? How were you diagnosed? Is there anything you can do to make it go away?

No matter who I asked or what I read, from a medical or a hippie point of view, everyone said you can do things to help it not to spread but you CAN'T fix it. I decided that was my best option too. 

I talked to my son about really eating healthy and that will help it not too spread and started giving him one DDR Prime supplement a day as well. 

A couple of months go by and my son comes running out, screaming with excitement, that some of his spots were filling in. I honestly was shocked. Everywhere I read said it couldn't happen, even on all the natural sites that I looked up.

I'm so sad I don't have a before picture, because I figured it would never fill in I didn't take one, but here is an after picture. This is his biggest spot and you can see how there is some pigment in it. Before he started taking DDR it was completely white. He also had some small ones on his back that are completely filled in. I don't know if it will ever go all the way away, but this has truly been a miracle for our little guy.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Vitamins and oils are NOT magic! I feel that we are having such great success because of what his diet is. He decided to completely give up candy and desserts, not an easy decision for seven year old. We also rarely have breads, and try to eat real, whole food. His body is wanting to heal itself and the vitamins and oils give his body the extra boost that it needs!

Body Butter

Do you want to know the super awesome, secret formula for soft skin?? 

Well, too bad!!

Just kidding, I love you too much to withhold something so amazing. The secret to great skin (besides eating good food), is my Body Butter!

It is a quick and easy recipe and now I can't go back to anything else; I love it too much! I even use it as my face cream, but if you do that just know your face will be shiny for a little bit while it takes some time to soak in.

I made a great little video about it; I even wore my super, awesome cosmic kitty shirt for you. :)





Body Butter

1/4 cup Shea butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 Tbs water
10 drops of essential oil of your choice

Melt your Shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler. (If you don't know what that is, watch the video) After it has cooled and hardened a bit mix your water and  essential oil into the Shea butter and coconut oil. Store in a container.

All Natural, Homemade Shampoo

A while back I posted about "No-Poo", it wasn't a post about being constipated, it was about not using shampoo and just using baking soda, water and vinegar to wash your hair. 

It worked very well for us, but my husband really likes having a shampoo that lathers, so I had to start all over and come up with an all natural, homemade shampoo that lathers. We have been using it for months and have been really happy with the results.

All Natural, Homemade Shampoo

1/4 cups Castile Soap
2 Tbs Vegetable Glycerin
1/2 Tbs Olive oil (optional)
5-10 drops Rosemary-helps with hair loss
3-5 drops Melaleuca-helps with dandruff
3-5 drops Peppermint-very invigorating, and smells great!
Water

Pour all your ingredients into a bottle, and fill the rest with water. 

When using, simply shake the bottle and pour some directly onto your scalp and scrub, scrub, scrub. Rinse out after a few minutes. 

It lathers up really good; notice my beautiful model and all that lather. 

I haven't got around to make my own conditioner, so I have been using this one.

Mama's Sunblock

I have wanted to make all natural sunblock for years, but I always was dragging my feet, mostly because it seemed too hard and I can be lazy. Well, I finally broke down and bought the ingredients needed and started making my own this summer. I am happy to report that it works great and it wasn't hard!

I keep getting fancy, which I hope you appreciate, and have made a YouTube video on how to make your own sunscreen. I also included the recipe below.

Mama's Sunblock

1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbs Shea butter
1/4 cup beeswax, grated
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 leaf of an aloe plant (optional)
2 Tbs zinc oxide
12 drops of essential oil (do not use any citrus)

Use a double boiler and melt olive oil, Shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil and aloe. Once it is all melted remove from heat and mix in the zinc oxide and essential oil. Pour into a container and let it harden over night, or you may put it in the fridge to speed up the process. This will make your sunblock about SPF 20 and waterproof!

You may ask, "Hippie Mama, what's the big deal using commercial sunscreen?"

Oh, thank you for asking! Well, first of all your skin is your largest organ, take care of it! You wouldn't put toxic chemicals on your other organs, so don't put it on your skin. Also, the cosmetic industry is not very regulated, allowing them to use all forms of chemical ingredients; some of which have been banned in other countries.

Here is a list from The Food Babe of what you need to watch for with sunscreen.

• Oxybenzone - this is a hormone disrupting chemical which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. It is the most popular ingredient in chemical based sunscreens and only blocks UVB ray (sun’s good rays that provide vitamin D production), not UVA which are the most free radical damaging rays.  Avoid any sunscreen that has this chemical at all costs, especially for children.
• Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) – A 2009 study by U.S. government scientists released by the National Toxicology Program found when this is applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, it may speed thedevelopment of skin tumors and lesions.
• Fragrance – Sure it may make the product smell nice, but this is a petroleum based product that is linked to organ toxicity and allergies.
• High SPF – The FDA does not regulate SPF higher than 50 and there’s no scientific proof they work betterthan lower SPF. Many of the higher SPFs do not provide any additional protection and studies have suggested that users are exposed to as many or more ultraviolet rays as those who use lower-SPF products.
• Sprays or Powders – Generally speaking, sprays and powders have additional chemicals added to them for performance purposes. These additional chemicals are usually not something you want to be spraying on your body and can be toxic to the lungs. Besides, remember sunscreen is formulated for your skin, not your lungs. Many of the side effects of sprays and powders on the lungs are not tested before being approved.
• Popular Conventional Brands - Aveeno, Banana Boat, Coppertone Sport, Coppertone Water Babies, Bull Frog, Neutragena, Storebrands (CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens), Hawaiian Tropic and many other popular brands are rated the worst in terms of safety in the Environmental Working Group’s Sunscreen Guide. You can use this guide to find out how good or bad the brand you have or want to buy is rated.

Giveaway!!

Who loves free stuff? If you answered no, I think you might be crazy. Every week I will be having a new giveaway. This week I am giving away a bottle of Lemon essential oil.

What can you use lemon for? I am glad you asked :).

Lemon is antibacterial, antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral, astringent, diuretic, and a disinfectant

Some of the common uses for Lemon to help with their allergies, asthma, cold and flu, constipation, hypertension, sore throat, stomach ache, stress and throat infections.

It's awesome stuff. I use Lemon a lot to clean with; especially my laundry because my kids are stinky!!

To enter just go here! The winner will be chosen this Friday, June 6th.

Sunburn Spray

My favorite season is almost here, summer! I love the heat, I love playing in the water, I love it all. When I was young and had no responsibilities and my favorite thing to do in the summer was to lay out. I still love it, I just have too many children to just lay out all the time, blah. Just kidding, I love them.

The only downside to summer is sunburns. My husband thinks the downside to summer is the heat, but he is crazy. I usually don't get too burned, but inevitably one of my darlings will. This is a quick and easy spray to make to give relief when you are sunburned.

Sunburn Spray

10 drops of Lavender
5 drops of Peppermint

Mix in a spray bottle with distilled water and store in the fridge. 

The Lavender will help heal the skin and the Peppermint will offer relief from the heat. You don't want to put a thicker oil on, like coconut oil, for a few days or it will trap in the heat.

DIY Dry Shampoo

Have you heard of dry shampoo? If you haven't, this is my gift to all women around the world!! Dry shampoo is a powder that you put on your hair when you don't have time to wash it. 

My husband thinks I'm gross that I don't wash my hair everyday, but have you ever seen my hair? I have long, thick horse hair. I love it, but it takes sooo long to do. 

This is a great, quick, easy way to get ready in the morning. Just use a powder brush and brush it in your hair. If it leaves a "powder" look in your hair just rub or brush the powder through your hair.

I have two recipes, one for blondes and one for brunettes.

Brunettes

2 Tbs Arrow Root Powder
1/3 cup coco powder

Put in a container and shake it until it is all mixed.

Blondes

1/3 cup Arrow Root Powder
2 Tbs Baking Soda

Put in a container and shake it until it is all mixed.

Fire Starter

Doesn't my title sound exciting? Oooh, fire starter. I think it does. 

I don't know where or how my husband came up with these; all I know is that they work. We have a fire pit out back and if I am starting it I just use vitamin G, or more commonly known as gasoline; however, my husband didn't think that was very safe.

The fire starters are easy to make and use and they really help get a whole fire going. All you need is: egg carton, dryer lint, old cotton fabric (we cut up an old shirt), dental floss and paraffin wax.

First step is double boil your paraffin wax to make it a liquid. I bought my wax at Hobby Lobby.

Next, you stuff a little bit of your dryer lint and your cloth into an egg carton. You will then proceed to tie your dental floss around your egg carton. Make sure you leave a long tail so you are able to dip it into the wax easier.

Once the wax is melted you dip your little fire starter into it and then set it aside to dry. When you are ready to start a fire you just light your little starter and put it in the wood and it will get your whole fire going. It is definitely much safer than my vitamin G; not as exciting, but very effective. :)

OK, here is where I get fancy. Not only did I record my husband making one, but I learned how to edit it!! I have never been more proud of myself. I had to hold myself back because I was going to add sound effects and weird music just because I could. So for your viewing pleasure: here is my sexy husband making a fire starter.

Organic Gardening

It's that time of year again to start gardening. I never enjoyed gardening as a kid, but now that I'm older and hopefully wiser I seem to get more into to it every year. 

Now to me what is the point of having your own food if you're just going to douse them in toxic chemicals? Here are some tips to help your garden flourish naturally.

* General Bug Repellent-Spray your plants with water and essential oils. Take a spray bottle and fill it with water and your choice of essential oil. A good rule of thumb is 1 drop of oil per 1 ounce of water. Some good oils to spray on your plants and fruit trees are: Peppermint, White Fir and Thyme. Spray anywhere on your plant that might be attacked by bugs. It is not only safe but good for your soil too.

Planting garlic near your plants will also help to repel bugs from getting your garden. 

Also, planting marigolds around your garden will help keep the bugs away; but you may need to plant several to make sure to get results. As an added bonus your garden will be more colorful.

* Slugs and Snails-You can crush up egg shells and spread them around the base of your plant. The sharp edges of the egg shells are like razor blades to slugs and snails and it deters them from coming to the plant.

Kidney Infection Vs. Me

I was in a fight with my body this week, and I lost. 

Early Saturday morning I went and worked out and felt a bladder infection coming on. Anyone else ever had one of those awful things? I hate them, they are evil. Anyway, it then went away and I ending up having a lovely Saturday, until later that night the bladder infection came back with a vengeance. I was up a lot of the night not feeling too great. 

Now normally I try to treat these on my own; I wrote about it here; however, I didn't have any of the stuff I needed on hand. I tried the best I could to take care of it on Sunday until I could run to the store on Monday, but it was too late. The awful bladder infection turned into a kidney infection. 

Now not to be dramatic, but have you ever had a kidney infection before? If you haven't, be VERY grateful, they are awful. I actually had one at the same time of giving birth to baby number five, and I couldn't even feel that I was in labor because the kidney pain was so intense. I would describe it as someone stabbing you in the back with knives while twisting them, but as an added bonus my bladder was infected too so it felt like I was in labor on top of the twisting knives.

Not only am I dramatic, but I am also painfully stubborn. I didn't want to go to the doctor. My husband tried to get me to go, but I really didn't want to. It wasn't until Wednesday when I was in so much pain that death seemed a better alternative (remember I said I was dramatic) that I finally went. The doctor was a very nice guy and found that I indeed did have a bladder and kidney infection; I wasn't just being a baby.

I am now taking an antibiotic which I am not thrilled about, but was necessary. After taking an antibiotic it is very important to take a probiotic after. This link is to doTERRA's probiotic; I've taken it, it is phenomenal.

Why take a probiotic? I'm not great at explaining the science behind things so this is taken from Natural News; they put it into words much better then I can. 

Probiotic intake for overall good health has been underestimated by even the alternative health community. The fact is that gut bacteria greatly affects both overall physical and mental health.

There are 400 to 500 species of bacteria residing in your gut or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which if opened up and laid out flat would cover a tennis court. If placed on a scale, your GI tract bacteria would weigh in at three pounds.

Probiotic bacteria have many more functions than digestion. They trigger immune system reactions throughout the body, including activating T-cells.

Good bacteria need to comprise 85 percent of the intestinal flora while allowing the remaining 15 percent to be pathogenic. Two-thirds or more of the immune system relies on this.

Ten reasons to consume probiotics

(1) Enhance immunity - a double-blind clinical test involving patients in intensive care proved that viable (alive) probiotics prevented multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), the number one cause of mortality among intensive care patients. (Source 5 below)

If probiotics can do this, what can they do to prevent chronic flues and colds and allergies?

(2) The immune protection of mother's milk is enhanced if the mother takes probiotics during or before pregnancy. If breast feeding is impossible, then adding probiotics and prebiotics (what probiotic bacteria feed on) to a baby formula free from fluoridated water and sweeteners can be tried.

(3) Probiotics can reverse ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gut inflammations that occur from a lack of sufficient probiotics.

(4) Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (GS) symptoms are handled by adding probiotics.

(5) Processed foods and low fiber diets allow the pathogenic bacteria to overwhelm the good guys and diminish colon function. It's important to add probiotics even if you drop the standard American diet (SAD).

(6) When pathogenic bacteria upset the 85/15 balance of probiotic to bad bacteria, yeast infections such as Candida flourish.

(7) A healthy gut flora balance helps prevent cancer by nourishing enzymes that inhibit tumor production throughout the body.

(8) Sufficient probiotic intestinal flora prevents radiation damage from X-rays and CT scans to the large and small intestines.

(9) GMOs are used in many processed foods and antibiotics are in lots of our non-organic meat and dairy products. They both destroy probiotic bacteria, making it necessary to add probiotic materials back if you've had any of those foods.

(10) Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride discovered how to cure her son of autism through a diet that restored his probiotic levels and heal his inflammatory conditions. She developed GAPS, gut and psychology syndrome, confirming the connection with gut health and mental health.

All Natural Hair Detangling Spray

Do you remember a few months back when I wrote about "no-poo"? Doesn't that sound lovely? It wasn't a post on being constipated; no, it was a post about naturally washing your hair. I have been no-pooing for almost a year now, and I have been quite happy with the results. My hair is really healthy and is even thicker than it was when I started, but it is a little tricky to comb through.

I felt like a little kid again not wanting my hair combed out because it hurt, and I'm super dramatic so that wasn't helping either. I started looking around for ways to help with my jungle of hair.

I found this recipe for a detangling spray, and I love it! The first time I used it was wonderful; I honestly just sprayed it through my hair and it was night and day difference of how much easier it was to comb my hair. 

I have straight, thick hair; my daughters have curly hair, and it works for all our different types of hair.

Hair Detangling Spray

12 ounces or larger spray bottle

1 1/2 cups water

3 Tbs marshmallow root

2 Tbs natural conditioner-I used this one

10 drops of essential oil-I used this one

Boil water and marshmallow root in a small pan. Reduce heat and let simmer 20-30 minutes. Let it cool slightly and strain through a cheesecloth or a very thin wire strainer. While still warm pour into your spray bottle and add your essential oil and conditioner. Then shake until it is all mixed in.

Wall Art Work

I have a budding artist at my house; he is two and his favorite canvas is my wall. He has experimented with different mediums, but he seems to prefer pencil. Not all my children have been as artistic, but enough have that I feel like I could add, "cleans a lot of crap of walls really well" on my resume. 

I used to use Magic Eraser to clean off the art work, but of course after you go hippie it's really hard to go back to the old stuff. A lot of the time Lemon essential oil will get a bunch of stuff off, but it wasn't getting the pencil.

Luckily, I have a lot of hippie friends and one of the lovely ladies suggested baking soda. Sounds too easy doesn't it? She makes a little paste with the baking soda, but if I'm going to wipe off a section of a wall I better just wash the whole thing down too.

This is what I use:

Large bowl of warm water

1-2 Tablespoons of vinegar

1-2 Tablespoons of baking soda

5 drops of favorite citrus essential oil, I usually pick Lemon or Wild Orange

Fill your bowl up with water, pour in the vinegar, pour in the baking soda, watch it bubble with awe, put in your essential oil and mix it all together. Use a rag and wipe down your walls.

It comes off incredibly easy, my 10 year and the budding artist wiped it all down and the pencil/artwork comes right off.

Basil

I have been really wanting my own little indoor garden and I am slowly adding to it. Last week I got a new baby, basil.

I love the smell of basil and I really love to cook with it; I know how to use basil as an essential oil, but I wasn't quite sure how to use the leaves for therapeutic purposes. I found this great link for some great uses for basil leaves.

Most of this is from The Wellness Mama.

1. General Cooking- Dried basil can be easily added to practically any dish. Basil is used around the world in many different cuisines with good reason. It adds a depth and flavor that is not rivaled by other herbs.
2. Calming the Stomach- The Italians may be on to something with adding Basil to everything. It is thought to have a calming effect on the stomach and 1/2 teaspoon of dried or fresh Basil Leaf in water can often help sooth indigestion and alleviate feelings of fullness.
3. Coughing and Colds- I’ve heard several Amish in our area suggest using Basil leaf to help alleviate coughing and colds. They chew fresh leaves to calm coughing or make a calming tea of dried basil to help sooth illness.
4. Facial Steam for Headache: A facial steam with dried basil leaf can help alleviate a headache. Add a tablespoon of dried basil leaf to 2 cups of boiling water in a large pot. Carefully lean over the pot, cover head with a towel and breathe in the steam for 5-10 minutes until headache starts to subside. Bonus, you get to smell like an Italian restaurant for the rest of the day!
5. Antibiotic properties: According to Mountain Rose Herbs: “European scientists are investigating the use of basil oil as treatment for antibiotic resistant infections with Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas.”
6. Stings and Bites: If you are working outside and get bitten or stung by an insect and don’t have any Plantain growing nearby, chewing up a basil leaf and applying to the bite will help relieve the pain and draw out the venom.
7. Ear Infections: I have a post about that written here.
8. Blood sugar: There is some evidence that Basil can help level out blood sugar if consumed regularly and drank as a juice or tea.
9. Stress Reduction: One herbalist I know suggests adding 2 cups of strong Basil Leaf tea to a warm bath to help reduce stress and facilitate relaxation.

Do You "No-Poo"?

Have you heard of "No-Poo"? Doesn't that sound wonderfully disgusting? Well, it isn't. No-Poo is in reference to not using shampoo. 

Why go No-Poo? 

Where do I start...

1st-shampoo cleans your hair but it also strips it of the healthy oils your hair would have naturally produced.

2nd-regular shampoo is full of chemicals.

3rd-homemade shampoo is incredibly inexpensive!! Who isn't trying to save a buck? My cosmetic budget has decreased dramatically with switching to homemade products, and that makes my husband very happy.

4th-your hair will look and be healthier than it ever has been. 

How could you not want to No-Poo after that? :)

So how does one go about No-Pooing? It is very, very easy. The standard recipe is:

1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 cup of water
5-10 drops essential oils of your choice, I highly recommend Rosemary as it will help with hair loss.

Pour some onto your scalp and scrub it in. Let it sit about 1 minute before rinsing it out. 

That is good enough for my boys, but the girls and I need a conditioner too. The standard recipe for that is:

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water
5-10 drops of essential oil of your choice, our favorites are Peppermint and Wild Orange

Pour all over your hair and let it sit in your hair for 1 minute before rinsing it out.

Because my hair is thicker than the average gal I have to do equal parts apple cider vinegar and water. The smell is strong, but once your hair is dry you can't smell it anymore.

There is a learning curve when going off of shampoo. Your hair will start creating it's own oil again and you may have an oily phase. My husband has a dry scalp and I had to add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to his shampoo. But when I tried it I looked like my hair was wet, it wasn't pretty. So you may need to play around with different amounts of baking soda and vinegar until you find the right mixture for your own hair.

We've been off of shampoo for about 6 months now and we all like it. I actually had to take the Rosemary out of my boys hair because they said it made their hair too thick. 

I was looking for some cute bottles for my shampoo, but then I saw these lovelies on sale for $1 so this is what I use. Yes, it would be better to use a glass bottle, but that seriously sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

Homemade Deodorant

Slowly but surely I am switching all my toiletries to awesome, that's right awesome, homemade stuff. I keep experimenting with different stuff and I have a deodorant recipe that I just love.

First of all, it's all natural! That makes me very happy.

Second, this recipe goes on like regular deodorant not a paste.

Third, it works and it smells really good!

This one does require some ingredients that you probably don't have on hand, sorry. I have a paste one that I will post later that you can whip up with stuff you probably have lying around.

2 Tablespoons shredded beeswax

2 Tablespoons Shea Butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder

1 Tablespoons Baking Soda

20 drops of essential oil of your choice (I used Melaleuca)

1 cup of water

Put 1 cup of water in a saucepan on medium heat. In a glass container put your beeswax, Shea Butter and olive oil in it. Continue to heat it until your beeswax and Shea Butter are completely liquified. 

After it is all melted remove from heat and add the rest of your ingredients. Stir well and pour into an old deodorant container or any container of your choice. Let it sit for 2-3 hours until it becomes hard.

Put it on and embrace your inner hippie!

Dishwasher Soap

I have been wanting to try homemade dishwasher soap for some time, but I had a giant box of dishwasher tablets that I had to use before I started the good old homemade stuff. 

The other day I finally got down to the last tablet, so I got to make my homemade version! Luckily, I had all the ingredients at home so I was able to throw it together very quickly and didn't have to run to the store.

1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/4 cup kosher salt
10 drops of Lemon essential oil

Mix well and store in an air tight container. Use 1 tablespoon per load.

You will also want to add a rinse agent to the dishwasher so that your dishes don't come out with a film on them.

1 drop of Lemon essential oil
3 drops of dish soap
1/2 cup vinegar

Just put the rinse agent in the bottom of your dishwasher every time you run it and ta-dah! You have beautiful sparkly dishes without all the chemical garbage from store-bought soap!! Also, it's cheap! 

Spirulina Face Mask

I have been playing around on Pinterest lately and found this blog. She has some great homemade skin care regimens. The one that I like and that my girls will indulge me in and try is the spirulina face mask.

How could you not want to try it after looking at this lovely picture??

What is spirulina? I'm glad you asked. Spirulina is an algae and it is a skin and body superfood. Some of the benefits of this lovely stuff is: it is a great source of antioxidants, it contains chlorophyll, which helps clean the skin and strengthen tissues, helps the skin store moisture, it has smoothing and calming effects for your skin and it can help eliminate acne.

So how do you make this wonderful mask?

You will need 
1/4 tsp of spirulina powder (found at a health food store or online)
a few drops of filtered water (I just did regular water)

You will mix the water with the powder until it forms a nice paste. Apply with fingers to your face. Leave on for 20 minutes then remove with warm water and a soft facial cloth.

I put it on before I am going to shower so then I can just wash it off in the shower and not get green all over one of my towels.

For best results you should do the mask 2-3 times a week.

I feel prettier already.

Hair Loss

If you have ever seen me and my gigantic mane of hair, you could probably guess right that I'm not too concerned about hair loss. I have always had a lot of big hair, you better believe that I rocked my big hair in the '80s; I had some super awesome bangs too!

So, finding a help to thinning hair or hair loss was kind of a fluke. I have been experimenting with some homemade shampoo(I love it, by the way), and I will post about it soon, and I read that Rosemary is used for stimulating the mind and enhancing mental clarity. I need all the help I can get in that department so I added Rosemary to my shampoo.

Soon afterward my hair seemed fuller. I also made some shampoo for my kids and my oldest son came to me asking me what I had done, because now his hair was too thick. I added it to my husband's shampoo and his hair has gotten thicker too, although he doesn't need it because he is a sexy beast. :)

I finally went and read about Rosemary and sure enough it helps stimulate healthy hair growth. It can also help with arthritic pain and rheumatism. 

To use I put 5-10 drops into our homemade shampoo. You could also just put 1-2 drops onto your hair after you've washed it. I love the smell of this oil!!

Another way to help with hair growth and healthy hair is the Lifelong Vitality Pack vitamins. Hands down the best vitamins I have ever taken!

If your husband isn't too keen on the idea of using oils, you could always put some on his head while he is sleeping. :)

All Natural Liquid Hand Soap

I have gone completely overboard with homemade products. I love them!

Recently I have been toying around with liquid hand soap. I put one together that works really good, and it will even lather like soap. I will also include where you can purchase these items so you're not driving around everywhere looking for them like I had to, because heaven forbid I buy in bulk online because I'm too impatient to wait for them to get here.

Soap dispenser-Hobby Lobby

1/2 cup unscented Castile soap-Target or RiteAid

4 Tbs. vegetable glycerin-Hobby Lobby

1 Tbs. fractionated coconut oil

10 drops of your favorite essential oil (I used OnGuard because it strengthens your immune system and I really like the smell)

Water

Put the Castile soap, vegetable glycerin, fractionated coconut oil and essential oil into the dispenser. Then fill the rest of your dispenser up with water.

Then take your dirty ol' hands and wash them until they're squeaky clean. 

Back to School Bug

Guess what season is almost here?? Not autumn! Nope, it's cold and flu season! Don't you just love this time of year? The puking, the runny nose, the cough that makes your cute little five year old sound like they've smoked a pack a day for the last four years?

To keep your family healthy this winter I can not stress enough about eating good food! Have you heard me say that before? People who eat healthy just don't get sick as often as folks who eat too much junk food.

So, you're trying to eat healthy, but someone still ends up getting sick. What do you do? Well you've come to good ol' Hippie Mama to help you out! I have a Family Physician Kit that is fabulous for treating a lot of common illnesses. 

The kit contains 10, 5mL oils. I will give a run down of some very basic things you can use your kit for:

Lavender-allergies, bug bites, insomnia, calming, burns, nausea

Lemon-disinfectant, constipation, sore throat, stomach ache, allergies

Peppermint-allergies, asthma, fever, bug bites, stomach ache, motion sickness

Melaleuca-acne, ear infections, cuts and wounds, skin disorders

Oregano-antibiotic, diarrhea, sore throat

Frankincense-asthma, neurological disorders, scarring, cuts and wounds

Deep Blue-arthritic pain, bruises, carpel tunnel, joint pain, muscle pain, sprains

Breathe-asthma, bronchitis, congestion, cough

DigestZen-constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, motion sickness, upset stomach

On Guard-bacteria, mold, immune system support

The kit also includes a CD from Dr. Hill instructing you how you can take care of your family with these 10 oils. 

I love this kit and you can do so much more with these oils than what I have listed. So I am going to throw in "The Bible" of essential oils called Modern Essentials for the first five orders of the Family Physician Kit. To order click on this link.