Coconut Oil Benefits

It has been all the rage this past year and while I was pregnant, I was not up for trying anything "new" or different, {insert irrational fear of anything bad happening to baby} so I waited until this year to try out this magical and versatile super food:

 

I LOVE any and all things coconut, so I knew the taste would never be a problem for me.  This kind I bought from Trader Joe's does have a faint coconut flavor; it's detectable when I 'butter' my toast and cook my over-easy egg in it.  My sweet husband politely asked me to never cook his scrambled eggs in it again...
#sneakyhealthfail

I've heard there are so brands that do not have the "coconut flavor"...which ones??

There is much to be said for this oil to really help out our digestive systems,{especially someone with Crohn's Disease} and I really need to find a better solution to sneaking this into his daily meals!  Any suggestions?

Not only coconut oil great for inside our bodies, but apparently it works wonders on the outside as well!  I have yet to try the hair mask, but I certainly will!  I also heard that prego women are lathering it all over their bellies to keep it nice and moisturized.  I may try this the next time around!

My feet/heels are cracked and dry all of the time; slather it on to smooth out those rough piggies!

Useful Sites:
Coconut Oil: Hero for Health
Super Food Coconut Oil
Surprising Health Benefits of Coconut Oil
Helpful uses and tips

I keep trying to sneak it into my daily meals...I've heard from friends they throw it in a smoothie!! I'm also loving it spread on 1/2 of a whole wheat English muffin with my homemade jam.

How do you use Coconut Oil?  Do you see its benefits?

Is Ignorance Bliss?

At what lengths do you go to protect yourself and your family?
In today's face-paced world, it's easy to drive yourself crazy,

trying to stay away from everything that is bad for you.

My husband and I try our best to live a healthy life,

but it can be hard!

Since I found out I was pregnant, I have tried to stay calm and yet aware

of all the possible harmful things I could be doing.

Obvious ones that are easy to tackle are no drinking/smoking.

Duh.

No sushi, not too much caffeine, no soft cheeses, hot dogs, deli meats, bla bla.

Easy.

No tanning beds, no spray tans, Botox {hehe} or doing anything super crazy sports wise.

No worries.

But I am borderline ready to throw away my microwave, cell phone, and start fights with my neighbors over them spraying their yard using harsh chemicals and pesticides!!

Not to mention, I've stopped using my beloved Bath and Body Works Lotion,

and traded in for no parabens.

via

I am petrified of eating veggies and fruits without the ORGANIC label.

I only want Organic meats.

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 My laptop never sits on my belly or my lap.

 Why do we continue to create things that may very well be harmful to us and our unborn child?

I draw the line some places, like I won't stop wearing deodorant.

However, last night when I helped a friend out with her Mary Kay,

I was a crazy person reading all of the ingredients checking for Parabens.

I didn't purchase the lip mask because it contained some.

I just know there is so much out of my control, but I feel as though if I know something,

 I cannot pretend that I don't.

Ignorance may be bliss,

but if you're aware, and choose to continue to do possible harmful things?
Is that stupidity?

So can I not eat fruit of it's not pesticide free?
Should I not order a Chai Latte with whole milk from the 'bux because it probably has hormones & antibiotics?

You still eat regular beef, chicken, pork etc?
Have you ever made grass fed burgers?
You can actually smell a difference when it's cooking.

Or an organic chicken breast; it's far more juicier than your cheap regular brand...

Oh, you think I'm overreacting?
Take an hour or so from your life, and watch:

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AHhhhhhhhhhh.

I literally can drive myself insane.

And my friends, as the more I talk to them, 

the more they become aware and want to make better choices too.

Maybe my paranoia is getting a tad worse {thank you Maria, my MIL whom I adore!}

but so is my husband's so, it's not just me.

Don't even get me started on organic bedding for baby.

$1,000 for a mattress.

Cloth diapers vs regular?

Make my own wipes vs. regular?

Glass bottles vs. regular?

BPA free plastic toys only!!

Do I get the flu shot?
I have always been against it.
I really don't want it now that I'm pregnant.

How about all those vaccinations baby will need??

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If I'm not supposed to eat large amounts of fish,

especially seafood like lobster because of high mercury content,

why and how is it ok to give a newborn baby such high doses of it in their vaccinations??

Is there really a link between that and autism?
I don't want to find out on my kid!!

What's a parent to do?
The lists go on and on and on...

I do feel strongly about wanting to get a house phone.

via

 Hubs and I have our Iphones, but it will be nice to get a phone that has its own number,

and I actually found out you can connect to your AT&T account and use your minutes.

I read you should not sleep near your cell.

You should not carry it on you in pockets.

Women who carry them in their bras, may be more likely to develop breast cancer.

Seriously!?!

So, as for now, I have not thrown away our 1980's microwave.

I just run outside or upstairs if I have to use it.

Am I the only one who feels a little nutty when it comes to all the new technology vs. 

all the way things used to be?
I love the internet.

I also love the simplicity of sitting outside, on a hot summer night, sans phones, Ipads, etc.

and having a long and loving conversation with my husband.

All of these new conveniences may help us do more in a day,

but at what price are we paying?
We just may not know for a few more years.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox for now.

How do you deal with these ideas?
I'm curious what people believe.

Phew. I'm ready to go for a walk.

Can I bring my Iphone or should I leave it here..

:/

It never ends.

Going Natural & Bloom-ing

Well, hello Monday!
The weekends just fly by it seems.

The weather has finally warmed up {again} and took full advantage of it!

I love having our back deck sliding glass doors wide open, so the doggies can come in and out.

They seem to love it too!

I have made some healthier choices by not going to the tanning salon, and

am just trying to get some good ol' fashioned Vitamin D from the au natural sun!

I've also ripped off my acrylic nails after 4 years...

and decided it's time to switch to just plain old polish. 

owie brittle nails anyone?

I gave up my allergy medicine, Zyrtec, and have been dealing with extreme 

itchiness on my hands and feet. It comes and goes, but it is so annoying!
It's not from allergies, I believe my body is so used to taking this awful medicine,

it's now freaking out trying to figure out what to do without it.

Kind of like when you go off birth control or any other medicine you've taken for a long time.

It's not natural and you body needs to adjust and figure out how to function without it again.

The more I read and think about it, I really despise medicines and prescriptions.

I know that there is a time and place, but should a person really need to take an allergy pill every single day for 4  years straight? Only to try and stop taking it, and breakout in horrible itching fits?

Just google zyrtec + stopping + itching. 

I'm not crazy and I'm not the only one! 

This should be on the label: 

Warning, stopping medication can cause insane itching!!

I can deal with the occasional stuffy/runny nose and sneezing.

I have been trying to add some local honey into my diet and that seems to lessen the sneezes.

I also have this cruise coming up and I tend to get a little sea sick...
I stocked up on some ginger candies and have the Sea Bands for my wrists...

I will definitely pack the Bonine in case I am in dire need, but I'm trying to be more natural!

Speaking of, we are officially booked, logged in, and all we have to do is board a plane to Florida, stay over night in Orlando, and hop onto our big boat the next day!!

Ready or not, my lil sister is getting married!!

Our itinerary:

Bahamas

Day at Sea

St. Thomas **Wedding**

St. Martin {my favorite island!!}

Day at Sea

Day at Sea

I cannot wait to relax and unwind with my crazy family.

It's seriously going to be like Griswald Family Vacation!!

I also finally caught up on some very much needed reading...

Now, I know I'm a tad over emotional as it is,

but the way Kelle Hampton writes is just absolutely beautiful.

 You really feel like you're in the room with her as she's describing all of the events.

If you're not familiar with her story, you should start with her blog.

http://www.kellehampton.com/

It's where the book was born.

She is just like you and I fellow bloggers!
A big heart, full of life, looking to learn and love all things about this crazy life.

The love she feels for her husband,

her step-sons,

her daughters...

It's all so moving and is one of those books, you'll want to fold the corners of the pages over,

so you can go back and re-read parts to teach yourself,

what really matters most in life.

I love how raw, honest, and real she is.

And one of the best parts?
She still blogs!
So unlike most stories that end, and you always wonder, what's going on now?
Well, just head on over to her blog and follow her beautiful life story.
If you cannot tell, it moved me in more ways than one, and for that, I am grateful.

I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day!

I enjoyed my furbabies with extra kisses last night...

 my girls

Holistic Rems & OOTDs

How's everyone's day so far??

We experienced almost a 90 degree day Monday!!

Therefore, I rocked one of my new Tarjay Maxis!!

I snuck outside for a bit and soaked in some vitamin D

and so did Holly Wally!

*Note the hyacinths growing; I planted them & they came up*
Yesterday hubs had off, since he will have to work

on Friday which is his normal day off. 

 Cardi: H&M

Tank: Loft

Jeans: Vera Wang @ Kohls

Black peep toes: Candies @ Kohls

It was a rather holistic kind of day and

aside from my annoying allergy sneezes,

I feel great!

Anyone else having allergy issues??

The husband had a chiropractor appointment

and I went along.
This guy was fantastic and I cannot wait to go

and get my adjustment from him!

You can't just go to any Chiro, you really need

to find a good one.
He shared a philosophy that my husband and I 

are taking very seriously.

If you have any issues going on..

migraines, stomachaches, stress, anxiety, obesity, etc...

{the list can go on and on}

Strictly focus on the 

CORE FOUR:

• eat 6 clean meals a day
• exercise at least 4 times a week
• 8 hours of sleep a night
• have fun

Before you have to go on all these crazy meds,

implement these core four principles and see if your

condition changes.

 I truly believe in this and it seems so simply stupid,

but really, how many of us eat 6 times a day?
And eat "clean" at that?

The chiropractor's wife is his assistant who runs

 the front desk. She made him

a protein shake as one of his meals while we were there.

It was such a positive and calming environment.

He really talked and listened to what shoulder/back

issues my husband's been having,

and he really cared to hear about us as people.

I told him how I stopped teaching to stay home

and his reaction was a lot different than most;

he literally clapped his hands in a circle and said

Good for you.

He really made my day!
We talked about how it's so traditional and 

to some people, seems backwards, but how

effective it is and beneficial to our health,

our lives.

{As I type this, the doggies are rolling around playing;

something they'd not be able to do if I was actually 

administering the ELA because they'd be stuck in their crates..

just sayin..}

After the chiropractor, we stopped over to get Joe's suit 

jackets taken in a bit & buy some new ones.

After that I went to some acupuncture for some stress relief.

She talked a lot about how it's in our genes and most of how

we are built, we cannot control.

She saw lots of 'heart heat' coming from the needles.

"Chinese medicine also believes that the Heart “houses the mind”. This may be a difficult concept to grasp, but according to Chinese medicine, the health of the Heart energy has a lot to do with our mental activity – even consciousness. The Heart governs our ability to sleep soundly, think clearly and have a good memory. A healthy Heart plays a big role in our emotional health and our ability to have meaningful relationships. When the Heart energy is weak and Blood is deficient, we may suffer from anxiety, insomnia, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, and in extreme cases manic behavior or coma."

I am a bit lot more sensitive than most,

and stress over things Joe wouldn't blink an eye at.

It's not my fault, but it does get the best of me sometimes.

My acupuncturist commended me at hows

proactive I am about it; I can tell

right away when I'm just feeling

a little bit worked up.

She told me to lay off

pickles, hot sauces, cinnamon, and any

other spicy triggers.

Funny how food can affect us, but I believe in it.

I cannot wait to be sipping the drink of the day on 

The Carnival Dream.

On the adults only.

Serenity Deck.

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Have a lovely day!!