Ice cream is the perfect summer treat. Well, ice cream is really the perfect any-time of year treat, but summer is a good excuse. I've recently discovered it's incredibly easy to make sugar-free ice cream. This sugar-free orange creamsicle ice cream tastes amazing! Even my sugar eating friends enjoyed it. It is a bit reminiscent of those creamy orange creamsicles I ate as a child—hence the name of the recipe. Xylitol and pure stevia extract are my sweeteners of choice. They are a healthy option that doesn't raise blood sugar, yet combined together have a great taste. If you don't like these sweetener options, ...Read More
Jenuinely Pure: Natural Skin Care Giveaway
What you put on your skin is very important. It can impact your health. Finding products that are made from natural, healthy materials should be on your list of priorities. I'm excited to be able to introduce you to Jenuinely Pure. A company that offers natural skin care products made from simple wholesome ingredients. Want to learn more about why natural skin care is important? Be sure to check out this post that talks about parabens, sulfates, and more! I'm excited to bring you a giveaway sponsored by Jenuinely Pure. They are offering to give one of our readers at $40 gift certificate towards any products in their ...Read More
5 More Surprising Reasons to Give Up Wheat
Last week I gave you 3 reasons to give up wheat: gluten, lectins, and phytates. This week, I'm giving you 5 very practical reasons to ditch the wheat. Are you ready? Here we go! Are you looking for more tips for going gluten free? I’ve gathered them all together in this Everything Gluten Free page. 5 Surprising Reasons to Give Up Wheat 1. Wheat causes inflammation Inflammation is the predecessor to disease. The more refined the grain, the more inflammation will occur. White flour is more inflmmatory than whole grain flour, but whole grain flour is still highly inflammatory. When you are consistently dining on ...Read More
How Safe are your Skin Care Products? (or Why you should choose natural skin care products.)
Do you ever look at the back of your soap package or body wash package and wonder what in the world those ingredients are? I do. You'll probably see a litany of ingredients about a mile long (ok, I exaggerate, but you know what I mean). Many of the ingredients you won't have any idea what they are. And how do you pronounce those strange words anyhow?! A couple of common ingredients in body care products are sulfates and parabens. Sulfates are a low cost chemical that is used in many cleaning and skincare items—they can be harsh and irritating. Parabens are another type of chemical that mimics estrogen in your ...Read More
Breastfeeding Support for Moms
I've breastfed all 4 of my kids. Exclusively. For a whole year. And then even more beyond that first year. There have been, of course, challenges along the course. NICU. Twins. Mastitis. Thrush. Babies who wouldn't sleep at night. And more... Breastfeeding Support is Needed It's good to have support when you're going through this stage of being a mommy. ...Read More
New Blog Look: Compliments of Simply Designs
Have you noticed our snazzy new blog header? Do you like it? I do! I was excited to have Mindy (one of my sponsors for Savvy Blogging Summit) from Simply Designs worked with me to give my blog a facelift! Mindy presented me with a fun, unique, bright, and cheerful header design (along with coordinating business cards). I've been looking at Mindy's portfolio on the Simply Designs website for quite some time. One of the things that stood out to me were how unique each of her designs were. None of them looked the same. They all seemed to capture the personality of the respective bloggers. Why I Enjoyed Working with Simply ...Read More
Top 10 Healthy Ice Cream Treats (with Sugar-Free & Dairy-Free options)
I'm pretty proud of myself for making a list of healthy ice cream treats... I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Well, at least I scream for ice cream. It doesn't feel like summer if I can't occasionally indulge in a scoop of ice cream every once in a while. I'm so happy there are so many fantastic, healthy ice cream treats on the web. Below you'll find gluten-free, sugar-free, and optionally dairy-free recipes that are sure to please everyone in your family. Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked ...Read More
Cleaner, Easier, Greener Periods with Menstrual Cups: Your Questions Answered
I first heard about menstrual cups about 3 years ago. I was intrigued. I particularly liked the thought of saving money. I figured, even if I wasn't wild about it, it was worth a shot because I'd save enough to pay for it with just a couple of months of use. I was excited to have a chance to interview Phallin, owner of My Secret Cup, to answer some common questions about Menstrual Cups. Special thanks to My Secret Cup for sponsoring this post. . What is a menstrual cup? A menstrual cup is a flexible cup shaped object made most commonly from medical grade silicone or rubber. It is worn inside the body to collect ...Read More