Christmas

Sometimes i seriously think our house is a circus tent! It is a juggling act keeping these little busy monkeys fed, changed, napped and loved! Lucy and i got a little alone time together this morning, it was really nice! We rarely get time just the two of us these days. Bryce went to pick up his mom, sister and Grandpa up river where they're staying while here and Bryn and Avery were both asleep. First we painted pictures, she made a rainbow for her daddy, and i painted a little Christmas hanging we made. I took a rectangle green piece of felt and traced all three little girls' hands on it, then outlined their hands in black puffy paint (what we always called it as kids:) probably fabric paint by technical name), after it dried i painted in the center of their hands different colors. It's actually really cute! Definitely a low budget idea, but i've tried to do it each year so i have a little collection of hands as they've grown.
After that we decided to do some "school work," one of her very favorite things! Since she's 3 years old she could technically be attending preschool, but since I've got such little ones at home and don't really want her to bring home as many colds as the preschool kids get, I've decided to keep her home. I've always dreamed of homeschooling my children, just a personal preference, so i bought her a couple of homeschool preschool books. She is so smart, it amazes me! She knows all of her letters, by looks and the sounds they make, words that start with them, etc. She also knows her numbers in order and by looks. We were working on all kinds of matching today, food groups, similar objects, capital and lower case letters. After that we took Ditalini noodles (half macaroni) and dyed them colors with a splash (up to 1tsp.) of rubbing alcohol, a few drops of dye in a ziploc bag for 15 minutes, then poured them out onto a cookie sheet to dry on wax paper. When she wakes up from her nap in a bit we will make necklaces or decorations for our tree!
When we were kids my mom was SO good at coming up with those projects for us to do, and i've looked forward to her getting to the stage that we could do some of them together. She is certainly a sweet and fun three year old!
Anyway, kid projects are a new territory for me, but we're getting there!
My mom discovered this blog a while bag and has been urging me to check it out since, it's called www.passionatehomemaking.com, this is where the deodorant recipe is, which i'll post at the bottom of my blog, or if you visit her site you can find a little video on it as well. We love this deodorant, you can buy essential oils to scent it as well, though we keep ours unscented. My mom put it in a wide mouth pint sized canning jar you can buy at Wal Mart or any grocery store that sells the jars, lids and rings. You can even use old deodorant containers and pour the mixture into it, it's totally up to you. Bryce hesitantly tried it, nervous that he would sweat at work and it would go through his clothes, but he has said he does not have that problem at all using it and actually sweats less. I love it because you just kinda scoop the top of it and after you put it on you can rub it into your hands and use it as a natural lotion as well. It is solid in the jar but instantly absorbs into your skin on contact. Coconut oil is a fantastic survival and life resource as it can be used for cooking, lotions, antimicrobial and antibacterial as well. It is rather expensive but it keeps and is very useful. My aunt has previously had cancer and cannot put aluminum into her body, so she uses this as well. Aluminum toxicity has been linked to cancer and Alzheimers and other health problems. Specifically women need to be careful with it as it can lead to breast cancer being absorbed so close to them. Deodorant also has parabens in it which mimics estrogen and can cause problems when built up over time. I started to change over during this last pregnancy to avoid giving the baby any aluminum or anything that may have gone through my system somehow to her. It is also edible and this exact recipe costs less than a dollar per batch.
I hope you find this useful, happy home making!

Ingredients:

6-8 Tbsp Coconut oil (solid state)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch (arrowroot is preferred)

Directions:

Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder.
Slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon or hand blender until it maintains a firm but pliable texture. It should be about the same texture as commercial deodorant, solid but able to be applied easily. If it is too wet, add further arrowroot powder/cornstarch to thicken.
You can either scoop this recipe into your old deodorant dispensers or place in a small container with lid and apply with fingers with each use. Makes about 1 cup. This recipe lasts about 3 months for two people with regular daily use.

All Natural

There are so many things we have been changing around the Miller house to make them more natural, the way God made them. Over a year ago, when Brynlee was a tiny baby, i switched to using Cloth Diapers to avoid all of the chemicals, the cost of disposables (which costs around $2500 per kid), and since we live in a rural area, the convenience of having them always here, where i couldn't run out (done that before!). We have also switched to a home made deodorant that my mom made for us using coconut oil, we buy all natural soaps from Apple Valley Soaps that make your hair feel FABULOUS! Just recently we cleaned out our cupboards and went to all organic, and are doing a short stage using the Engine 2 diet, which is a plant based, all organic, mostly Vegan diet.
I also hold a very strong opinion about Vaccinations as they have been changed in recent years to include aluminum and other junk i do not wish put into my children's bodies. I got my information and studies from dr.tenpenny (google it) or naturalnews.com has a lot of the same information. In fact, i don't even take my children to the Dr. unless they are sick. In my experience, when you deny their "advice" and stick to your guns, you spend over an hour listening to a Dr. sigh because they believe you are endangering your child's health. Can i just ask the obvious question... Do Dr.'s really know what's in the vaccines they push? NO. They push them because that's where the money comes from, but Dr.'s are not studied in alternative medicine as far as remedies, so would they really know what's in those shots? Don't even get me started on prescription drugs and nutrition. I couldn't believe when i read the other day that an MD is only required to have 1 short course of Nutrition! Even though Nutrition can prevent and cure a majority of the diseases that face our culture today, including Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Diseases, Hormone issues and MANY more. That is one of the reasons why I am studying to be a Holistic Health Practitioner. I am passionate about alternative medicine and getting rid of reliance on pharmaceuticals.
A couple months ago Lucy got Pink eye and i found that getting a green tea bag a little wet and pressing it on her eye takes away the inflammation and the itching. If done regularly, this is an effective treatment for pinkeye, no medication needed, you probably have it in your cupboard, and its cheap! AND it does NOT burn like the medication they give you at the office. Have you ever tried to hold down a three year old and put 2-3 burning drops into both of their eyes twice a day? It requires at least two full grown people, the windows closed so your neighbors don't call the police, and a super calloused heart. Can't say i've ever heard screams like that, so i'll stick with the green tea thank you very much!
My dad has a little bursitis in a few of his muscles from years of basketball and old injuries and i found in one of my books that taking turmeric is as effective as anti inflammatory drugs that the Dr. prescribes only has NONE of the side effects.
One of my goals in getting this blog started is to share all of the ways we're turning our home into a more natural, self-sustaining atmosphere for our children to be raised in. We are also very passionate about being prepared for anything and I'll share with you a few of the ways we've prepared for natural disasters as well as any other kind of disaster that could befall our area.
It's incredibly empowering to take the reigns in our own home and transform our "need" for help into self sufficiency. I am confident that no matter what happens we have done the best to protect our children and raise them with the knowledge that not everyone has their best interest at heart like we do. So many industries are all about money, and i don't want my children to suffer or get diseases, be sterile or any such possibility because of it!