Warrior Dash

Did it! (Click this link if you want to see a few more of the strangenesses I've challenged myself with over the years.)

Sometime back in May we signed up for the Warrior Dash, something I wasn't one hundred percent sure I could do, but I damned well wanted to try. It's a 5K run up and down the side of a ski-slope (Copper Mountain) with a bunch of obstacles thrown in for good measure.



And look we're smiling! In fact, I smiled for most of it. It just felt so good to know that my body was up to the task.

We'd started out at the very back of the pack, the 3 last people in fact, possibly because we knew our best pace and kept to it. By the time we made it to the really steep part of the hill, most of the people around us were walking. Going up the hill, several people even cheered for us as we passed them. A fact which really typifies the race... not a lot of pressure, but plenty of fun.

Jenny and Aurora and I did it, along with Aurora's husband and Jenny's and my little brother Matthew (who painted himself blue in honor of our Gaelic heritage).

Before




After




So, yes, for those of you who are asking, I did make it over the wall. Luckily it was nowhere near as tall as the one we'd practiced on. There were actually three of them, though, so that sort of made up for it, difficulty-wise. No pictures of us on the wall, but here we are going through mud and jumping over the fire.







And finally, here's a video that I didn't take, but was made on the same course that we ran later in the day, so you can see the obstacles from our point of view. And though it might not look that bad, I have to say the most difficult obstacle was going uphill through the tubes.



Gotta get me a helmet cam for next year's race.

Note- the rest of the pictures from that day can be found here if you're interested.

Whipped Body Butter

Have you ever tried those massage bars that used to be so popular? Jeff bought me one for Valentine's Day many years ago and I really wanted to like it (especially considering how expensive it was). But getting it warm enough to melt was too much effort. I really prefer oil for massages, but it does tend to make a mess just getting it from the bottle to your skin. Lotion seems to evaporate and make you cold. I've tried using pure mango and shea butter, but their texture always seemed to be a bit gritty. What I really wanted was Whipped Shea Butter, but the price was just silly expensive for the amount that you get.

So, encouraged by my rousing success making homemade deodorant, I figured I'd make my own whipped body butter for massages. This stuff feels so nice and silky, melts at body temperature and you can scoop up a decent handful without it spilling all over the place.



Originally, I'd planned to share this recipe for all the men out there to make for their partners as the awesomest Valentine's Day present ever. Well, that and a full body massage, that is.

As I mixed up a batch, however, I quickly realized that very few men would actually bother making this. It's an incredibly simple recipe, but does take quite some time (like almost all day; though don't worry, most of that time is waiting around).

But, I'm sure someone will want to make it as a present, or even just for themselves, so here it is.

(I've linked to my favorite brands, but you should be able to find all of this at your local health food store and skip the shipping charges. Also, you really only need to buy one thing, Shea Butter, but mixing up this kind of stuff brings out the latent apothecary in me and I had a hard time stopping at one ingredient. And since I was making this batch for some especially needy skin, I added more skin helping goodies.)


Main Ingredient
Shea Butter 7 oz (Mango Butter works well too)

Other Ingredients (All of these are completely optional; this recipe makes a perfectly respectable batch if you use only shea butter.)
Coconut Oil (3 oz or so)
Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil OR Evening Primrose Oil (several tablespoons total)
Vitamin E (a few capsules)
Aloe Vera Gel (I was able to add a few tablespoons of this without changing the texture for the worse.)
Essential Oils of your choosing (my suggestion is to avoid synthetic fragrance oils)

How To
-In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the shea or mango butter in the microwave. If using shea, it doesn't need to be completely clear and liquefied, but should be free from any gritty bits. If I remember correctly, the mango butter did need to be completely melted before the gritty bits were gone (If you rub the oil between your fingers, it should feel completely smooth.) This took about 30 seconds or so.

-Pour this in a bowl of a standing mixer.
-Add the coconut oil if using. (Yes, coconut oil is a solid at room temperature.)

-Mix until it's completely smooth.
-At this point the mixture will be close to room temperature, but still liquid. It won't cool any further, but it will thicken over the course of many hours.
-Now you will walk away from it for a couple of hours. Come back every now and then to turn the machine on for about 10 seconds, just to keep it evenly mixed.
-Eventually it will thicken and will start to look like this, which is close, but not there yet.

-After a total of 6 hours or so, it should be solid enough to whip for 3 to 5 minutes into a nice whipped cream consistency. It should form soft peaks and lighten in color, almost to white.

-Now, you can add any of the oils if you choose. With the machine running, drizzle in the almond, jojoba or evening primrose oil by the tablespooon. Don't add more than an ounce of this or it'll make the mix too soft. Poke a hole in the Vitamin E capsules with a pin and squeeze into the mix. Add the aloe if you want. Finally, add the essential oils a couple drops at a time until you're happy with the results.

Some Extra Thoughts
-When this melts, it's basically oil, not lotion. So don't expect it to have the same absorbency as hand cream.
-I've only made this using a standing mixer, but I'm sure a regular mixer would work too. It'll just take longer to whip it up.
-If you want to save yourself a ton of bowl scraping when using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, I highly recommend buying yourself a Beater Blade like you see in the pictures above. It has rubber edges that actually do a pretty fantastic job of scraping down the bowl as it spins.
-I have not tried the Raw Unrefined Shea Butter but it looks like, even with shipping, it's a pretty good deal (about 7 bucks a pound).
-Don't let the container of this stuff melt (above 80 degrees) or it will go back to the original crumbly texture when it returns to room temperature.
-If you've got a lot of nerve, you can give a batch as a very self-serving Valentine's present.



The last time Jeff gave me a massage with this stuff I asked him how much better it was than oil (that's usually how I phrase questions to him... things like, how fantastic is this dinner? aren't I awesome? and you're the luckiest guy in the world, which isn't really a question, but a fact I like to remind him of every now and again). He said something along the lines of, "Yah, I guess it's less messy." So there you go. Another ringing endorsement from one of my family members about something I've made.

Seriously though, this stuff is fantastic.

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Fighting Heartburn with Peppers

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had more and more heartburn. For awhile, it seemed like every passing year awarded me more frequent and more painful episodes. At one point, I actually went to see my doctor because I felt like there was something seriously wrong with me. Like I was about to drop dead of a heart attack at the ripe old age of 31. He told me that I had acid reflux and that he could prescribe something for me to take every day for the rest of my life.

Naturally, I wasn’t too keen on that.

Eventually, I found my way to an Ayurvedic remedy, Trikatu. It actually contains a fairly spicy pepper, which, I know, seems counterintuitive to the whole idea of heartburn. But, Ayurvedic doctors believe it’s very important to strengthen digestion with herbs and spices, not douse it with water. Which, honestly, is why I think I used to get heartburn after eating spicy foods, I always drank too much water with it.

Anyway, back to Trikatu. It is a mixture of ginger, black pepper and long pepper.


(This is what whole long pepper looks like. Picture by Charles Haynes.)

I buy mine here. When I remember to, I take it preventatively, like when I know I’ve eaten a whole bunch of stuff that I shouldn’t (pizza late at night, too many beers, giant Thanksgiving dinner) and I also take it after I’m already feeling bad. I never take it on an empty stomach.

And it works. Quickly. Like faster than any regular over the counter stuff I’ve ever taken for heartburn or indigestion.

Once I was describing Trikatu and my stomach problems to a friend of mine. How I don’t think I’m lactose intolerant, but cold milk in the morning tends to give me a stomach ache and how Trikatu helps. She decided to give some to her daughter, whose story sounded a lot like mine. She had actually thought her daughter was suffering from car sickness or extreme stress at school because she got nauseous almost every morning on the 30 minute drive to school.

Two weeks later she called to tell me that her daughter was taking Trikatu every night (it was too hard on her stomach to take in the mornings) and that her stomach problems were almost completely gone.

I feel sure that there are quite a number of people out there that just couldn’t tolerate it. My dad, for instance, tried it and told me that it hurt his stomach. Probably those with ulcers or sensitive stomachs couldn’t handle it. But, for those people whose doctor has given them the go ahead, it has worked wonders for me (and Joey and Jeff and Kam and Jenny and Brad).

IMPORTANT NOTE-
I do not feel that just because something is natural, that it is completely safe. They wouldn't work as medicines if they didn't cause significant changes in the body. And even though something may be safe at the suggested dose, does not mean it's safe in higher quantities. Also, it's important to remember that what works for one person, may actually exacerbate problems in another person with a different medical history. It is for these reasons that I suggest you check with your doctor before taking anything new. (Also, in case you haven't gathered, I am not a medical professional. Nor do I play one on the internet.)

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Related Posts-
Spicy Pee (Natural Help for UTIs)
Acupressure for Constipation
Growing Pains

Sun Salutations for Comments

So, if I didn't completely put you off by describing my utter self-absorption during the month of May, I would like to take a moment to share another of my quirky neuroses.

Normally, I like to think of myself as a self sufficient person, unaffected by the opinions of people around me (hey, even the underwear oracle says so), but at other times I realize how completely and utterly needy I am.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly (or knows me in real life) has probably noticed many contradictions in the things I say, so this should not be surprising to you. I believe that this is because I'm a Gemini. Not only is my sun sign in Gemini, but my moon and at least one of the other planets are as well. This, you may or may not realize, makes me more of a Gemini than most Geminis.

Slightly Off Topic Tangent- whenever I start speaking like this, Jeff will mention something along the lines of, "Ohhh, you're talking about pretend things."

Whatever. Just know that if you had the same thought, I don't hold it against you and you needn't hold it against me. Jeff and I have managed to work out a peaceable arrangement in which he doesn't believe the same things that I believe in, but knows that it makes me the woman he loves and so he's glad that I believe the things I do.

Anyway, back to Geminis. That is the sign of the twin, and I think of it as polar opposites living in the same person. Apparently, most people are not able to (or don't want to) live with more than one absolute reality, which I believe is very closed minded of them.*

It is possible for me to, say, not give a crap what people think about some things (my parenting skills, my hair, my body, my house, my blog) and then be in total need of reassurance when it comes to other things (my parenting skills, my hair, my body, my house, my blog).

I've been wondering why it is that I have over 200 subscribers (according to Feedburner) yet only get a handful of comments per post. And I know that I've got a lot of family that read this regularly. They occasionally send me their responses via email, which is something that I give them immense grief over ("Go back and write that on my site" I tell them, or sometimes I simply copy their words in myself). One day Jeff's cousin in Canada even mentioned to him that I'd put up an interesting post (it was his ball poem). Debbie, I can't believe you didn't have something to say about that one, but then again, I could see how it would leave you speechless.

I would like to think that the lack of comments is not due to the quality of the posts, but more because you all don't feel that you have anything to add. And since I've recently experienced wild up and down swings when it comes to my motivation to write here and because the number of comments definitely help with the motivation, I thought I'd try something new.


(This lovely picture was taken by Flickr user Bosquetango.)

For the month of September I will do one sun salutation (it's a yoga vinyasa) for each comment that anybody leaves on this blog. It can be on any post, from any time. And it doesn't matter if what you have to say is funny or informative or even relevant. Just let me know you stopped by to read it. I know I've got a lot of lurkers (the stats tell me) so come out and introduce yourself. (The fine print- I will match each comment, one per person, per post. None of this one word per comment, take ten comments to make one sentence malarkey. Yes, I know who I'm dealing with here.)

In case you're wondering why I've chosen to do sun salutations, it's because I've been inspired by the Global Mala Project, in which yogis all over the world join together to do 108 sun salutations in a row. Maybe if I start training now, I'll be ready by next year.

Happy Yoga Month everyone! (And, come on, don't leave me hangin here.)

*Gandhi once said ”Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.” Take that, people who always believe the same thing day after day after day.

Spicy Pee

Warning- This is a post about bodily functions. Feel free to skip it if you’re squeamish. I won't be offended.

A couple of months ago, Angeleen wrote a really helpful post on how baking soda helped her treat a bladder infection. It’s taken me awhile to get around to this, but here’s my two cents on how I get rid of them.

When I was a kid, I had lots and lots of bladder infections. I had them so often, I wasn’t ever able to take bubble baths, which is kind of sad. And when I became an adult, I continued to have them. I really am quite the expert on what it feels like to have one. I’ve had doctors tell me that they were shocked I was even able to feel the fact that I was developing one because it was at such an early stage.

So there’s another amazing talent of mine, detecting low levels of UTI bacteria.

As treatment, I always went on antibiotics. The problem is that antibiotics throw off the body’s internal balance of good microorganisms. I think most people are aware that our bodies are home to many good microorganisms, the cultures in yogurt (acidophilus) being a prime example. This is why pharmacists now recommend that you eat lots of yogurt after you take a round of antibiotics (at least mine do).

When the good bacteria are killed off and the balance goes all wonky, the bad microorganisms tend to flourish. Problems like yeast infections usually are the result. Myself, I always got an infection in my belly button piercing.

It wasn’t until 8 or 9 years ago that I figured out how to get off this fun little merry go round of things going wrong with my body. And I haven't been on antibiotics since. Somehow, I found a concentrated cranberry pill called CranActin and I stocked up on it because that shit works. At the first tickle of the merest possibility of a bladder infection, I take one or two of these. Then I take one a day for a week. I don’t take them preventatively, though, because I’ve read that huge and excessive amounts of a chemical in cranberries might not be good for the lining of the bladder.



I once had a friend who had a very advanced bladder infection, to the point of peeing blood. But, since it was a Sunday evening, she really didn’t feel like sitting in an Emergency room for hours in order to be prescribed antibiotics. I gave her a few pills of CranActin and she felt better within an hour. After taking one or two a day for the next week or so, it was completely cleared up.

Joey was fairly little when she had her first bladder infection, which she described as ‘spicy pee’. And I still think that is the best description of a bladder infection that I’ve ever heard. Luckily, CranActin comes in chewables, which worked just as well for her.

(All the links I've included are to Amazon. However, you can usually find these at your local health food store because when you're dealing with a UTI, waiting for shipping isn't an option. Also, I have tried other cranberry concentrate pills because they were cheaper, but CranActin really seems to work the best for me.)

At this point in my medical history, I feel fairly confidant just taking the pills without visiting the doctor each and every time. But, my advice is to get an actual diagnosis if you’ve never had one before or if it’s a really advanced case. There are lots of symptoms to look for, but a bacterial culture is the only way to be sure that it really is a bladder infection.

IMPORTANT NOTE-
I do not feel that just because something is natural, that it is completely safe. They wouldn't work as medicines if they didn't cause significant changes in the body. And even though something may be safe at the suggested dose, does not mean it's safe in higher quantities. Also, it's important to remember that what works for one person, may actually exacerbate problems in another person with a different medical history. It is for these reasons that I suggest you check with your doctor before taking anything new. (Also, in case you haven't gathered, I am not a medical professional. Nor do I play one on the internet.)

Just something to keep in mind.

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Related Posts-
Fighting Heartburn with Peppers
Acupressure for Constipation
Growing Pains

Nut Allergy Henna Warning

I wanted to mention that those of you with nut allergies shouldn't use the Earth Henna kits. It does contain Black Walnut which would obviously be bad for those who are sensitive to nuts.

Just thought I would give a heads up in its own post in case you don't check back on the original one that's been updated with this info.

Hope you're all having a good weekend!

Peace out.

How We Do Henna

I received quite a few questions about the henna pictures, so I thought I'd answer them all here.

The first time we tried this (on my pregnant belly), we mixed our own batch using a traditional Indian recipe and bulk henna from the health food store. After we applied it, I had to keep it wet for hours by continually dabbing it with a sugar and lemon solution. And after all that work, it hardly stained at all.

Sad.

We have since found Earth Henna kits. I think they're so much easier and a lot more fool proof. We buy ours locally (just about all the health food stores around here carry them), but if you can't find them in your area, you can always get them online. The kits come with everything you need to create a lot of tattoos, including the transfer sheets if you don't want to do it freehand. And you don't have to keep them wet, which is a total pain.

Added Note- As mentioned in the comments, this product does contain black walnut, which would obviously cause a problem for those people with nut allergies. I'm very grateful to the commenter for bringing it up because it is something that didn't even cross my mind (having a family without any allergy problems what so ever).

For those of you who don't have allergic issues...

I am copying in pictures of each of these and adding little descriptions because every time I go to buy them, I forget which one is which (some kits make more designs than others and one is just a refill) and the descriptions all sound the same. I have the same problem with buying these that I used to have with Ranch dressing at the grocery store; I somehow always ended up with bacon flavored when I only wanted plain. ... Not that any of these are bacon flavored.

Humm, kinda got off track there.

Anyway, here are all the different kits that I, personally, recommend. There are plenty of other ones out there that I haven't tried. And many people (like the millions in India) are perfectly capable of mixing up their own batches themselves. If you're more competent than me, you should give that a try.

Earth Henna® Body Painting Kit

This is a mini kit has enough for 15 to 20 designs.


Original Earth Henna® Body Painting Kit

This has enough to do 30 to 40 designs.


Earth Henna® Body Painting Kit and Mehndi Book

This contains the Mini Kit (15 to 20 designs) plus a book of designs.


Lakaye Studio - Refill - Earth Henna Body Painting Kit

This is a refill kit that has enough for 30 to 40 designs (and the one I always intend to get, but sometimes I end up with something different).

The Process We Use
-Heat the skin where the design will go. (optional- see below*)
-Transfer design (if using) by placing ink side down on skin and rubbing eucalyptus oil over the top, holding the paper perfectly still while you do it. Do this step as quickly as possible because it tends to smear. (It's much easier to do on a flat part of the body.)

-Apply henna to skin, using nice thick lines.
-Don't move much until it is dry to the touch.
-Leave it on the skin at least 2 hours and up to 6.

-Soak a cotton ball with cooking oil and dab it all over the henna design.

-Let sit for a minute or two and then rub the skin with the cotton ball, loosening and removing the henna.



-The color starts out as orange, but darkens to brown within a day.

-Avoid water for 24 hours if you can.

(Thanks, Jenny, for the photos and the use of your foot.)

Tips
*We've had really good luck with using a microwaved heating bag (you know, filled with corn or rice or lentils) to heat the area just before applying the henna. This helps the henna to stain darker and last longer, but is certainly not necessary.
-The skin should be clean and free of lotions before starting. It also helps if you rub the area vigorously with a towel to buff away any dead skin.
-Henna stains darkest (and lasts longest) on the feet and hands (unless you hand wash a lot of dishes), but it will work anywhere on the body.
-If you're squeezing out a line of henna and it stops, DON'T squeeze harder, unless you want a big glob on your design. On a piece of paper, attempt to squeeze it out. If it doesn't come out easily, use a straight pin to clear the tip.
-The longer you let the dried henna sit on your skin before removing it, the longer it lasts.
-Don't go to sleep with the dried henna still on your skin, even if you wrap it with tissue paper like some books recommend. It will crumble off and fill your bed with little henna crumbs... which stain.
-Whenever you need to get the area wet, you can rub oil into the area first to protect it a bit. This will help it last longer.
-If you would like to make up your own designs to draw from directly, just print them up on a laser printer and use just like the included transfer designs.
-If you do want to make your own designs, my favorite books for inspiration are

Mehndi: The Art of Henna Body Painting

(This is actually the book that comes with the kit above)

Mehndi : The Timeless Art of Henna Painting

(This one has some gorgeous designs.)

Important Note
Beware of Black Henna. It is sometimes made with a really toxic chemical (PPD) which can burn the skin.

The Poop Button

So, here’s a funny and potentially helpful story. I'm sharing it in an effort to do my part to make the world a better place. You're welcome.

[To warn the squeamish, it involves bodily functions. To protect the innocent, all names have been changed.]

Don't say I didn't warn you.

One day, Freddie, who was a small child, was sitting on the toilet, trying to go. He was really uncomfortable. His mother, noticing his anguish, checked one of her many natural remedy books (Natural Healing For Children: An Essential Handbook for Parents), thinking maybe she should give him some Vitamin C to get things moving. The book, however, suggested using acupressure to ease his constipation. As soon as she pushed the spot described in the book (which will forever be known as the Poop Button in their household- yes it deserves the capitalization), he immediately shouted, “I’m pooping.” As, indeed, he was. Later, Freddie’s mother was recounting the harrowing tale to a friend and proceeded to demonstrate the acupressure spot on herself. Within 5 minutes, she, too, was running toward the bathroom.

Though the names have been changed, this story is 100% true.

So, you wanna know the spot that helps with constipation?



It's called the Sea of Energy (aka Conception Vessel 6) and is located three fingerwidths directly below the bellybutton.

A couple of tips to remember for acupressure…
-Always measure any ‘fingerwidths’ with the fingers of the person being acupressured. That keeps the ratios the same.
-Don’t push on the spot if you have long fingernails. You can use the eraser on the end of a pencil.
-Use firm pressure, but not super hard.
-Back off if this causes pain. If this happens, retry it very gently, slowly and steadily increasing the pressure. Also, focus on the breath if this happens, as it can help to release stress and pain.
-Sometimes this works in as little as 5 or 10 seconds. If it doesn't, feel free to continue applying pressure for 1 to 3 minutes. Don't hold it for more than 5 minutes, though.
-I would also like to add that, in our house, we don't have problems with chronic constipation and this method has consistently worked within a minute or two. For cases of chronic constipation, it might require more frequent (and maybe shorter) sessions of acupressure.
(Thanks, Britt, for asking for the clarification on this.)

Personally, I think there should be public service announcements about it.

It could be sponsored by "The Committee that Doesn’t Want to Sell You Anything or Make Money Off of You in Any Way, but Just Hopes that You Have a Pleasant Afternoon. Because the World is a Much Nicer Place when It’s Inhabitants Aren’t Constipated."

Pass it on.

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Related Posts-
Fighting Heartburn with Peppers
Spicy Pee (Natural Help for UTIs)
Growing Pains

Growing Pains (note- this post is not about Kirk Cameron)

When someone isn't feeling well around our house, I tend to shy away from pharmaceuticals, both prescription and over the counter stuff. I have several reasons for this...
-unwanted (and sometimes dangerous) side effects,
-news of supposedly safe, FDA approved medicines being pulled off shelves,
-the fact that they tend to fix the symptoms and not necessarily the underlying problem
-not to mention the stress they tend to put on our liver and kidneys



I've always been willing to suffer through a little more discomfort in order to avoid drugs that actually harm my body or put my health at further risk, while essentially only treating symptoms. Over the years, though, I've found several natural remedies that work as well, and in some cases better, than pharmaceutical alternatives for both the symptoms and the underlying causes.

The first problem that I ever learned to treat non-pharmaceutically was growing pains and leg aches. As a kid, I had awful growing pains. I can remember crying and crying for what seemed like hours as my mom sat up rubbing my legs. When I was pregnant I started to experience the same thing again.

Then I read in one of the dozens of pregnancy books by my bed that it was because the growing baby was stealing my calcium (sneaky little thing). So, I got a decent calcium complex from the health food store and started taking it before bed. This is something I should have been taking anyway, just the regular dose, nothing above and beyond.

And it worked the first night!

Later, when the kids had growing pains themselves, I began giving them the age appropriate dose most nights before bed and it worked for them as well. If I forgot to give it to them and their legs were already hurting, I would give them a half dose of pain medicine along with the calcium, because it does take a bit of time to work.

The older kids could swallow the capsules, but for Joey, I would just open one and mix it into a spoonful of peanut butter. Nature's Way is the one we found that didn't taste gross that way; it just made it a bit gritty. (That link takes you to VitaCost, a company that I buy a lot of my vitamins and herbs from. They don't have everything that I need (and they have a lot of stuff that I wouldn't buy), but they do have brands I like for super cheap. And their shipping is only 5 bucks for any size order, so I order big.)*

I believe that it is fairly important to buy high quality supplements. Most of the stuff sold at the grocery store does not get absorbed well by the body. I usually judge products by whether Vitamin Cottage carries it, because they are fairly strict about what they put on their shelves.

IMPORTANT NOTE-
I do not feel that just because something is natural, that it is completely safe. They wouldn't work as medicines if they didn't cause significant changes in the body. And even though something may be safe at the suggested dose, does not mean it's safe in higher quantities. Also, it's important to remember that what works for one person, may actually exacerbate problems in another person with a different medical history. It is for these reasons that I suggest you check with your doctor before taking anything new.

Just something to keep in mind.

*Wow, a parenthesis within a parenthesis. I think that's a Wisdom of the Moon first!

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Related Posts-
Fighting Heartburn with Peppers
Spicy Pee (Natural Help for UTIs)
Acupressure for Constipation

I'm Thankful For...

a sister patient enough to do henna for me after a long day of eating.



Sitting in front of the fire, because heat makes henna stain darker.

Ahh, heaven.