Natural Options: Living and Raising Your Children Naturally

This morning I woke up to the sun shining into my window.  I wiped my eyes to begin my day, pushed back my chemically washed sheets that cover my chemically wrapped mattress and placed my feet on my chemically protected carpet.  Ahhh, what a beautiful morning!

Somehow life seems a little less pure when you describe things for what they really are.  In recent months I have been reading a lot about the dangers of everyday chemicals and toxins in our lives.  Now I look at everything in a whole new light.  We need to be more aware of our surroundings and less worried about what people will think of us.

I am challenging everyone who reads this to look around them and see things for what they really are.  Read labels, do research and think about products before you buy them.  I am by no means suggesting that we all live in huts and sing kumbaya but, I know there are simple lifestyle changes that could change your health for the better.  

As part of this challenge I encourage you to make just one new lifestyle change a month.  It is so easy to control your surroundings when you take just one simple step at a time.  I am here to compare stories, help and inspire you along the way.  I am constantly looking for new ways to live a natural life and to raise my children without harmful toxins.  I encourage you to share your ideas so we can all live a more natural life.

NATURAL OPTION TIP:

Here is a natural option that you can start today.  Most homes have baking soda in them so this should be an easy first step.  If you do not have baking soda make sure to pick some up during your next shopping trip (it will be worth it).  Baking soda is a great substitute for many harmful and expensive cleaners.  Use baking soda to clear clogged drains, heal minor cuts and scrapes, use undissolved as a soft scrub, clean fruits and vegetables, and much more.  Go to the Arm & Hammer website for more uses in your home http://www.armhammer.com/myhome/.

Good luck, I can't wait to hear your stories!

Be a Hero

Look!  In the sky!  It's a bird, it a plane, no it's... my Mom?!

Picture it, your Mom flying high, defending the innocent with her super strength and x-ray vision!  Ok, so you don't have to sport spandex and a cape to be a superhero but, you must admit I just put a funny vision in your head.  Well, I like to think it might not be too far from the truth.

The day you become a Mother you are filled with so much love and you assume a responsibility that is like no other. 

John 16:21  A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

Being a Mother is as close as I will ever be to being a superhero.  I know that my children are watching my every move, to me that alone is a super power!  (An easy super power at that.)  By living my life for God I am teaching my children to do the same.  The Bible tells children that their parents are... "a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."  I don't know about you, but if I had parents that were doing "ugly" things I wouldn't want them to be my garland or necklace.

Although I've talked about being a hero, having the status of superhero is not important to me.  There is only one true superhero and he is the living God.  If we live our lives in a way that is pleasing to our "Superhero" we will automatically become a hero in the eyes of our children.  So fly on Mommas!

Romans 8:31 ...If God is for us, who can be against us?

 
Additional Note:
In my eyes Psalm 45:4-7 paints a picture of a superhero for God...

In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.  Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.  Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.  You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

---

Grandmother's Strength

THE NEWS
"It's Melanoma."  The words out of my Grandmother's mouth hit me hard from the other end of the phone.  Looking down the barrel towards her 80th birthday my Grandma has a battle on her hands, cancer.  No one likes the "c-word" but, the word is not new to my Grandma. 

About 6 years ago a Dermatologist found skin cancer on her ear.  She had the cancer removed as well as one lymph node that had been effected.  Luckily she did not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation since it was spotted so early.  Unfortunately, this time it has shown it's presence with a lump below her ear in her lymph node.  We just found out it was melanoma at the end of last week.  

Thankfully doctors are moving quickly and she is headed to The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (commonly called James Cancer Hospital or The James) next Wednesday.  Then we will find out what treatment options are available.  

THE HISTORY

It's not uncommon to see my Grandma in tears when she talks about her Mother (my Great-Grandmother), whom she still refers to as Mother or Mommy.  That is probably because she passed away when my Grandma was young, around 12 years old.  My Great-Grandparents were very religious people.  So, when my Great-Grandma felt a lump on her breast my Great-Grandfather insisted that she not go to the doctor and the family would pray the lump away.  By the time her parents (my Great-Great-Grandparents) decided to take her to the doctor, it was too late.  She returned home to finish out her very short life.  Her death caused much sorrow and pain for my Grandmother.  After her death my Grandma's role around the house was comparable to a servant rather than a child.

THE STRENGTH
The events of my Grandma's upbringing could have made her a very bitter and cold person but, anyone who knows her will tell you she is quite the opposite.  Her trials have made her one of the most compassionate people I know.  She is always there to help anyone in need sometimes before they even ask.  Her ability to turn tragedy into kindness is a testament to her strength and faith.

THE FAITH
Although God did not save her Mother's life she never blamed him.  She learned and understood at a very young age that God has a will for everyone's life.  She also believes that we need to do our part in life as well.  God is a loving, all-knowing and forgiving God, he is anything but lazy.  He expects us to be active in our own lives as well, not lazy.  We would not let go of the steering wheel in a snow storm and pray for God to lead us home.  We would keep both hands on the wheel; our eyes alert and pray that God keeps his hands over us as we do our best to make it home safely.

Today I pray that God keeps his loving arms around my Grandmother.  May He keep the car running and the lights shining bright as she fights her way through this snow storm.  My family will be salting the roads with prayer, plowing them with faith and keeping the fire place warm at home until she makes it through.

I love you Grandma.

Think About What You're Thinking About

Most people have heard the old saying, "you are what you eat" but, the same can be said about your thoughts (you are what you think).  My Mother would always tell me to quit thinking negative whenever I would worry about something.  "You are going to think it into being," she would tell me.  I always remember that when I start thinking negative.  I know that I better stop giving the devil ideas and polluting my own mind.  Many people have failed at things in life not because they were incapable but, because they were not able to control their thoughts.

Recently I started reading a book by Joyce Meyer called Battlefield of the mind.  In chapter seven Joyce discusses how we should be in control of our thoughts.  Whether you agree with Joyce Meyer's teachings or not this chapter is a guideline that can help everyone.  Below I have listed the section titles in that chapter and the corresponding scriptures (NIV).  The titles alone can lead you in a direction you have been searching for.

• Be Careful What You Think!
• Mark 4:24  "Consider carefully what you hear," He continued.  "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more." (My Mom was right!)
• Meditate On The Word
• Psalms 1:1,2  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
• Meditation Produces Success
• Joshua 1:8  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it,  Then you will be prosperous and successful.
• Think About What You're Thinking About!
• Ephesians 2:3  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.  Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
• Meditate On The Works Of God
• Psalm 48:9  Within your temple, O God we meditate on your unfailing love.
• Be Transformed By Renewing Your Mind
• Romans 12:2  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
• Think On These Things
• Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

By following the scriptures above you are making an important first step to changing your way of thinking.  It is not just about thinking positive but, it is about changing every thought that enters your mind.  The next time you pass someone on the street or in the store and you find yourself thinking about how dirty their hair looks or how poor they must be STOP and think about what you are thinking.  When someone makes you mad and you are calling them names in your head STOP and think about what you are thinking.  Next time you think you are not worth anyone's time STOP and think about what you are thinking.

Tips to Save you Bucks at the Pump

I recently received a story from a friend (thanks Hollie!) about tips to save money while you are filling up your tank. The advices sounded great so I started a little research.

Here is the email and some facts that I received from http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/gastips.asp. All of us could use a little help at the pump these days.


The Email Claim:
Four refueling tips help consumers get the most from their gasoline dollar.
 

Example of the Email I received:
I've been in petroleum pipeline business for about 31 years, currently working for the Kinder-Morgan Pipeline here in San Jose, CA. We deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period from the pipe line; one day it's diesel, the next day it's jet fuel and gasoline. We have 34 storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons. Here are some tricks to help you get your money's worth:

1. Fill up your car or truck in the morning when the temperature is still cool. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground; and the colder the ground, the denser the gasoline. When it gets warmer gasoline expands, so if you're filling up in the afternoon or in the evening, what should be a gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and temperature of the fuel (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products) are significant. Every truckload that we load is temperature-compensated so that the indicated gallonage is actually the amount pumped. A one-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for businesses, but service stations don't have temperature compensation at their pumps.

2. If a tanker truck is filling the station's tank at the time you want to buy gas, do not fill up; most likely dirt and sludge in the tank is being stirred up when gas is being delivered, and you might be transferring that dirt from the bottom of their tank into your car's tank.

3. Fill up when your gas tank is half-full (or half-empty), because the more gas you have in your tank the less air there is and gasoline evaporates rapidly, especially when it's warm. (Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating 'roof' membrane to act as a barrier between the gas and the atmosphere, thereby minimizing evaporation.)

4. If you look at the trigger you'll see that it has three delivery settings: slow, medium and high. When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the high setting. You should be pumping at the slow setting, thereby minimizing vapors created while you are pumping. Hoses at the pump are corrugated; the corrugations act as a return path for vapor recovery from gas that already has been metered. If you are pumping at the high setting, the agitated gasoline contains more vapor, which is being sucked back into the underground tank so you're getting less gas for your money. Hope this will help ease your 'pain at the pump'

 

Research from Snopes:
Fill up your car or truck in the morning when the temperature is still cool The temperature at which gasoline is sold has been the focus of legislative interest of late in several states, the primary issue being that regulators maintain gasoline expands or contracts about 1% for every 15-degree change in the fuel's temperature. U.S. oil companies and distributors account for temperature when they sell to each other, but most retail outlets in the U.S. (i.e., gas stations that service ordinary motorists) make no such adjustments. The standard used in the oil industry assumes fuel is dispensed at a


temperature of 60°F; however, fuel often comes out of service station pumps at considerably higher temperatures (especially in warmer climates), but its volume is still calculated as if it were 60°F, which advocates claim results in customers' getting a smaller volume of gasoline than they're paying for. Lawmakers in some states (such as California, Texas, and Missouri) have therefore been considering bills that would force retailers to add temperature-adjusting pumps (Automatic Temperature Compensation, or ATC) in order to bring the gallons-sold tally in line with the 60°F standard. (Temperature regulations on gasoline sales are already in effect in some places. Hawaii, for example, requires retail pumps to dispense fuel on the assumption that it is 80°F rather than 60°F. ATC is widely used in Canada, but some cynics have noted that Canada's colder climate means gasoline is often dispensed at temperatures lower than 60°F, resulting in customers' getting more than they're paying for — hence the oil industry's eagerness to embrace ATC in that country while resisting its implementation in the U.S.)

The whole temperature/volume issue is a subject of lively debate: Some maintain that consumers always get the volume of gas they pay for, regardless of temperature, and the real issue is whether a gallon of warmer, expanded fuel contains as much "energy" (or octane) as a gallon of cooler fuel. Some say it doesn't; others maintain that consumers are getting the same "energy content" in a tank of gas either way.

Moreover, according to some sources the idea that buying gasoline in the morning will guarantee motorists get considerably cooler (and therefore cheaper) fuel is a chimera, as the Los Angeles Times noted:

Q: Should I buy fuel in the morning or when temperatures are cooler?

A: No. The delivery temperature is key, because most fuel sits in underground tanks that act like big Thermos bottles. Even if a station receives a load of gas at 5 a.m., if it's coming straight from the refinery, the fuel will be hot and stay that way. Others maintain that regardless of the temperature at which gasoline is delivered, due to the insulative properties of underground storage tanks one can't be sure that gasoline will always be at its coolest early in the morning.

In any case, the bottom line is whether it's really worthwhile for consumers (in the absence of ATC) to take matters into their own hands and attempt to save money by buying gasoline only at a particular time of day. Even if the temperature/volume issue were a real and significant one, one has to consider the amount of savings to be gleaned from such a scheme. Assuming that a motorist typically bought 15 gallons of gasoline per week at $4.00 per gallon, and assuming that by carefully choosing to fill up at a particular time of day said consumer could realize a 1% savings, we calculate the total savings to be gleaned over the course of a year at about $31. Would that reward really be worth the potential inconvenience of adhering to a rigid fill-up schedule week after week?

If a tanker truck is filling the station's tank at the time you want to buy gas, do not fill up; most likely dirt and sludge in the tank is being stirred up Most sources agree that deliveries from tanker trucks do stir up particles of dirt and sludge in gasoline storage tanks, but that this isn't really much of an issue for the ordinary motorist. Gas stations are required to have filters that trap dirt and sludge, and modern automobiles also have fuel filters, so a bit of stirred-up dirt doesn't really pose much potential to adversely affect your car.

And again, one has to consider the trade-off. On the (probably infrequent) occasions when you arrive at a gas station at the very same time a tanker is filling the station's tanks, is it really worth the time and expense to leave without filling up and drive off to a different service station just to avoid something that likely isn't much of a concern in the first place?

Fill up when your gas tank is half-full (or half-empty), because the more gas you have in your tank the less air there is and gasoline evaporates rapidly, especially when it's warm We haven't found much of a consensus about whether gasoline evaporating from automobile gas tanks is truly "lost," whether the amount of (hypothetical) loss is significant or negligible, or how much the evaporation rate would really be lessened by motorists' driving with gas tanks never less than half full. Nonetheless, we can still make some rough economic estimates about the purported advantages of this tip.

Some advanced gasoline filtration systems claim to recover about 2% of the fuel lost by evaporation from gas station storage tanks, so we'll use that figure as a baseline for argument's sake. (Yes, we realize that underground storage tanks and automobile gas tanks are two very different things.) In the scenario outlined for tip #1 above, our typical consumer might save about $62 per year on gasoline if he could completely eliminate losses due to evaporation from his automobile's gas tank (and this tip only addresses reducing evaporation, not eliminating it). Is that savings really worth essentially halving the storage capacity of your car's gas tank (thereby requiring you to stop for gasoline twice as often as before)? Assuming that our typical consumer bought gasoline once a week, and that the fill-up process averaged a modest 8 minutes (including the time to get to a gas station, to wait in line if the pumps are all busy, to pump the gas, to pay for the purchase, and to get back on the road), said consumer would be spending an extra 7 hours per year pumping gas to achieve these savings. Is that a good trade-off of time vs. money?

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the high setting. You should be pumping at the slow setting, thereby minimizing vapors created while you are pumping. The primary claim here is that service station pumps in some places use nozzles fitted with vapor recovery systems, but those systems recover and recycle vapors produced during the process of dispensing gasoline which the consumer has already paid for. (That is, the pumps do not adjust price or volume to reflect vapor recovery, so the consumer is essentially paying for losses due to "waste" even though the retailer is recouping those losses through a recycling process.)

The efficacy of this tip is another issue of dispute. Advocates maintain that pumping gas more slowly produces fewer vapors, and therefore consumers get more for their money by using slower settings on pumps (because less gasoline is lost to vaporization). Critics (including state regulators) assert that the amount of vapor loss produced during the pumping process is so small as to be economically insignificant to the ordinary consumer. And, as in the tip #3 above, one has to consider the time factor: Is the aggregate amount of time you're going to lose by using only the slowest delivery setting at every fill-up really worth whatever modest amount of money you might save?

The bottom line is that there are much easier and better ways of improving the efficiency of your car (and thus of saving you money at the pump) than the tips outlined above. Particularly important is proper maintenance, including engine tune-ups, wheel alignments, tire pressure checks, and filter replacement. Mileage can also be improved by removing from the car little-used equipment that adds weight or increases drag (e.g., sporting gear, tools, roof racks/carriers). Driving habits are especially important: jackrabbit stops and starts eat up extra fuel, as does driving at higher speeds. All in all, the simple habit of engaging in planning and combining multiple trips into one excursion will likely save the average motorist far more money (and time) than all four of the above tips combined.
 

I think it is very important for women to know how mechanical items work and the 'tricks of the trade' to make them work correctly. I hope this has given you some insight. 

Good news from a very bad situation: 

Experts say that since the crisis in Japan gas prices will begin to fall over the next few weeks. This is mainly due to the fact that a lot of citizen's in Japan are unable to drive. 

I would like to end this with a request for prayer and assistance for all people in Japan, mostly those directly affected by the earthquake and/or tsunami. 

May God be with each and every one of them.

Natural Options: Heartburn and Acid Indigestion

A number of Moms that suffer from L.A.T.E. (the Lost All Time Epidemic) have to deal with health problems related to their busy lifestyles.  One of the most common is heartburn and acid indigestion.  There are various reasons why we get heartburn.  It can be brought on by the foods we eat, the drinks we consume, stress, posture, eating to close to bedtime, eating too much and even wearing too tight of clothing.

I am no medical expert but, I can tell you that heartburn is caused when stomach contents (acid) reflux into the esophagus.  Certain foods you eat can relax the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle allowing stomach contents to reflux.  Other foods (in some cases the same foods) require your stomach to produce more acid in order to break the food down.  Both of these types of foods should be avoided if you experience frequent heartburn.

I could use this blog to list all of the things you should not eat and all of the things you should.  However you can find that anywhere on the internet.  Most sites will tell you the same things:  avoid fatty and fried foods, spicy foods, caffeinated drinks, citrus drinks, alcoholic drinks, tomato products and chocolate.  This is very good advice and avoiding these things will help prevent a visit from heartburn.  However, I am here to tell you the other things that people have found that you don't always hear about.

OUR NATURAL SUGGESTIONS

Avoid Most Kinds of Dairy
When heartburn sufferers think about milk it usually sounds soothing to their burning pain.  However they need to think twice before swallowing that cool glass of milk.  Not only does milk contain a lot of fat (hard to break down in stomach) it also includes a lot of other proteins and nutrients essential to our bodies, is that necessarily a good thing?  I read the following scenario and it seems so simple, why didn't I think of it?

Think about the use of milk in nature... milk is used by baby mammals as a primary food.  Everyone knows that is why we have milk.  Since milk is the only form of food for the baby the stomach acids are neutralized and the digestive process slows when it is consumed.  This is done so that the acid does not harm the gentle proteins in the milk and so the nutrients can be absorbed into the body.  Also fatty milk (whole milk) contains a lot of fat that takes longer to digest.  Long story short, milk was made to be consumed as a main course (for babies).

When you mix milk (or a lot of dairy) with your meal you are creating stomach confusion.  Your stomach has been confronted with two meals at once.  One meal is telling your stomach that you are an adult and you need to produce acid to digest the food you just ate.  The other is telling your stomach to slow down digestion so it can breakdown the fat and not harm the proteins that are in your meal (milk).  In return your stomach is doing exactly what you tell it too... it is producing more acid (for the adult food) but, slowing down digestion (for the milk).  Therefore you have a full stomach that is not digesting quickly causing the food to reflux into your esophagus.

Not all milk is created equal.  Goat milk is very good for digestion and can ease some of your heartburn pain, just consume small portions.  If you can not get used to goat milk you can try other low fat milks such as 2 percent, skim or soy.  Calcium is a great acid reducer just remember to use moderation when drinking dairy and do not drink it with your meal.

Other suggestions (most personally tested by me)

Chewing Gum - Sounds silly but, by chewing gum you increase saliva and swallow more than usual without even noticing.  It helps keep the stomach contents down where they need to be.

Papaya Enzymes - A chewable over the counter vitamin supplement that helps digestion (don't taste bad either)

Apple - An apple a day may really keep the doctor away in this case.

Vinegar (white or apple cider)/pickle juice - I have not tried this but, some people claim it works

Raw Almonds - 6 to 8 of them.  Chew well to avoid swallowing excess air.

Soda Crackers - They absorb and calm stomach acid.

Cinnamon - Try cinnamon toast to absorb and calm the acid.

Keep Your Head Up - By having poor posture or laying down you may be forcing stomach contents into your esophagus without realizing it.

A little to the left - While trying to sleep (making sure your head is properly propped) lean towards your left side.  The design of your stomach will help food stay contained.

Avoid Asprin and Ibuprofen (unless prescribed by Dr) - It can burn your stomach as well as your esophagus.

Eat and drink separately - By drinking in-between meals it allows your food time to digest so you are not over-stuffing your stomach.

Don't smoke - I know they blame smoke for a lot of things but, heartburn is a common side-effect of smoking.

Obvious choices - Exercise (you would be surprised what a 15 minute walk after a meal will do), eat smaller portions and stress less (don't worry we are here to help).

Welcome Mothers!

As a Mother I'm sure you have experienced the frustration of a busy schedule.  Ok, so even the word busy may be an understatement in some cases.  I too am inflicted with what I like to call the L.A.T.E. (Lost All Time Epidemic).  Our busy schedules have forced us to live lives that we don't necessarily like.  We just "do what we have to do" to keep everyone happy.  A lot of times that means we ending up not making ourselves happy or worse yet, not making anyone happy.  It is a vicious cycle that leaves us feeling drained and unaccomplished all at the same time.  I don't know about you but, I am sick and tired of well, being sick and tired!

Recently I have begun doing a lot of research to turn things around.  I have been praying more, reading more, researching online and just talking to other women.  It is amazing how many women feel the same way but, just don't talk about it.  I created this site so that I can share my findings and inspire other women to live wholesome lives.

Sit back and enjoy the ride as we confront all subjects...

•  Faith
• Marriage
• Parenthood
• Home
• Finances
• Work
• Health and more

You too can be a "Wholesome Mother" and enjoy your life instead of injuring your life... start today.

What is a Wholesome Mother?

I LOVE the name of my site!  Why?  Because wholesome can mean a lot of things, a lot of good things.  It represents what Mothers are or what they wish to be.

According to dictionary.com the definition of Wholesome as an adjective is:

• conducive to moral or general well-being; salutary; beneficial
• conducive to bodily health; healthful; salubrious
• suggestive of physical or moral health, especially in appearance.
• healthy or sound.

What is more conducive to moral and general well-being than a Mother?

This site is here to provide you with resources to make certain that you can morally and physically help yourself as well as your children and others that come in conact with you.

As a "Wholesome Mother" you will learn to enjoy life and everything it throws at you.

Welcome.