NOTICE: I know it's not July still, but it was when I wrote this. It is still technically summer though! It's been a couple years since I've done a Christmas in July post full of my favorites, but as you know, I love sharing about my faves, so, without delay... here we go!!! First of all, thank you for using my links and codes. I do get a commission when you purchase through them...read more here: Did you ever find out about something and wish you'd known about it sooner?

I'm sure you're familiar with magnesium, that's element Mg if you're looking at the periodic table. Maybe you've heard of magnesium salt baths or topical magnesium spray, or the variety of magnesium supplements. But have you heard of magnesium bicarbonate? A pretty cool reaction happens when magnesium hydroxide & carbon dioxide mix--you can read more about that here. Keep in mind this is just my experience, and although I have linked research articles, this is for entertai

So, recently I shared that I had finally found a matcha that tasted good and met my standards! I added mint to it and WOW, what a great combination! Even better, was that I harvested the mint myself. Check out how I did it! A pitcher of Iced mint matcha: - 4 scoops of matcha - 8-12 mint leaves, muddled - filtered, cold water - 2 c ice cubes (made with filtered water) - stir & garnish with extra mint Yep, it's that easy! Let me know if you try out this drink & use code: SAT

There's so much out there right now about PUFA's aka polyunsaturated fatty acids. I'm not here to dive into all that, there are so many people that do it so well. However, I wanted to share about a skincare company I found that is committed to a fully saturated, PUFA-free skin care line. I recently heard the founder talk about hemp seed oil and how the seeds are supposed to make new plants and it struck something within me...like yessss, that's what seeds are for! The compa

My microfiber experience before this (one that I’m willing to share) had been accidentally catching a towel on fire that was sitting next to the stove, freaking out, and almost calling the fire department. Because it's essentially woven plastic, when it melted, it stuck to my finger and creeped me out, so I wasn’t all that upset when I had to throw it away. Enter Norwex. Even before my melting incident, I’ve always had an aversion to microfiber, but THIS brand doesn’t give me

Hey there! This post is by request -- I didn't think it would be of interest, since it's so simple (no pun intended, haha, who am I kidding, of course it was intended lol). Anyways, every year I harvest and process my family's mint. This summer, their garden was overflowing! I made mint pesto, mint ice cubes, mint tea, and of course, mint simple syrup. Pictured: Chocolate mint (to the bottom and left, regular mint on the top right). They're similar, but not the same! This

I have been tweaking this most requested recipe for a couple months and now it’s ready to share! Let's just say, I won't be buying root beer from the store anymore. Honestly, I wasn't buying it before (which is why I wanted to make my own) because that ingredient list--yikes! Or, on the rare occasion I'd fine one that seemed okay, it didn't taste okay lol. Also pretty disappointing that most of the recipes to make it online don't go from scratch; they cut corners and use a

If you know me, you know I'm always experimenting. Sometimes it works out okay, sometimes it's not so good (which many of you reading this may have experienced this first hand haha), and other times, it is GREAT. This one, it's the latter. I stopped doing my hair and wearing makeup on the regular years ago. But, even with that, brushing my hair was getting to be such a task. It took forever and I was losing a ton of hair (due to knots). Ultimately, I was brushing my hair

Can you fill in the blank? What's something that can't be measured? It can be given freely. It resides in each of us. It costs nothing yet it can take up so much space. We all know. You probably read the title and inserted it unconsciously. All that to say that there's no hiding this has been, is currently, a season of unreason. And although I don't understand, doesn't mean my love ceases. Honestly, it can only deepen. Because it is a free resource, why would we...na

When I'm cleaning out the garage or working in the yard where possible pesticide overspray from neighbors is possible...real soap is needed! I am SO glad I found out about 1924 Custom Soapery, a small, local-to-Wisconsin, family business that makes soap the old fashioned way. Their list of products is expanding, but I wanted to share some of my favorites with you! Here are some of the soaps I've tried: Winter Wellness - the bottom of the bar, made of turmeric, has a natura

Picture: McManus Media Oh it’s been too long since I’ve done a favorites post. let's jump right in: Gimme Beauty hairbands – I heard so many great things about these, I had to give them a try. I got the silk sleeping scrunchy & the fine bands. Let’s just say I don’t want to go back to using a normal hair band again! They stay put, first of all. I can put one in, sleep in it, and it will still be in place the next morning before I hop in the shower. And the best thing is, it

Believe it or not, in my adult life, I had never done a Bible study until recently. I came across The Daily Grace Co and the studies they offer make it so accessible and aesthetically pleasing. I’ve been working my way through a couple of them now: - Preaching The Gospel To Yourself - Emotions And the Heart - Grace In The Wilderness I’m looking forward to starting their Psalms studies soon as well. Not only do they have Bible studies, they have great mugs, tee shirts, gel hig

Not true! I never knew there were SO many different varieties of spring flowers in general, but have been amazed by how many different daffodils and tulips sprung this spring. My neighbor has a bountiful garden and says that the flowers are meant to be enjoyed. When we catch each other out at the same time, I end up going home with a giant bouquet. At least twenty is the minimum! It’s been wonderful to have so many fresh flowers on the table this early in the season. And my e

Hello, friends! Thanks for being here with me. Let’s start with one of my new favorite recipes…but this one’s for the birds! Seriously! My husband and I were gifted a suet-style bird feeder. I wasn’t familiar with this kind, but thought it was so cool. I read the ingredients in the pre-packaged suet and thought, when this is gone, I can totally make my own…and that’s what I did! Recipe: 1c suet, melted 2c oats 3c cornmeal 1c flour 2 crushed eggshells 1c peanut butter Handful

So, I've been wanting an ice cream maker for years, but we just don't have the room - for storage or to fit the bowl in the freezer. Plus, we have pretty much every other kitchen gadget and need to slim down to just the essentials. My husband came across the idea for mason jar ice cream so we experimented, with lots of trial and error. I couldn't find a recipe out there that actually worked without tasting dry and ice-chippy. I finally found the perfect proportions to make

Who doesn't love Blood Orange (BO - haha)?! I distinctly remember the first time I was introduced to it. It's really a citrus for all the senses. The color, the smell, the taste--yummm to all of it! What I didn't know until recently is that there's a blood orange essential oil. What?! I know, right?! And even better, the place I found it has it marked as one of their safe-for-culinary oils! So, if the smell of it in the diffuser wasn't enough, it can be used in the kit

Who doesn't love the smell of roses? And even the thought of roses make me smile. I tell my husband that although I love them, food is the way to my heart, so I'd rather have a snack haha. But, what if both of those could be in one? Now you're talking. Or I'm talking. Haha! Anyways, I love goat cheese and when I came across Roses over Geranium oil, I thought it would be such a great mix...and I was right! Here's how I did it: 8oz. chèvre 1 drop Roses Over Geranium oil a

I burn myself in the kitchen more regularly than I'd like to share - But at the end of July I had a day where I burnt myself twice - and the one time it was pretty intense. I was making a quiche for my hubby and when I reached into the still-on oven, my forearm hit the top rack. I have no idea how this happened as I wasn't in a hurry, and I WAS being careful. But I wish I was wearing oven mitts versus just a hot pad covering my palm because it would have protected my arm (

There's nothing like real, fresh, organic, heirloom tomatoes that have been truly ripened on the vine! My hubby and I have been making our own salsa with these quality ingredients and the next step is to try canning some so we can enjoy our recipe all summer long! Here's how we did it: 1 pint mixed tomatoes (cherry tomatoes, pear tomatoes, orange banana, & black zebra) 4 tomatillos 1 red bell pepper 3 cherry bomb peppers 1 cayenne pepper 2 tsp Icelandic Flake Salt [Code: SAT

I have been searching far and wide, being mostly disappointed by the matchas I've met. Luckily, after many bitter tastings (and I love bitter, but not the bitter aftertaste of a poor quality matcha), I have found the matcha I'll enjoy for the rest of my life! Why did I want to find a matcha that met my standards? I am aware of the potential benefits, from supporting cardiovascular & metabolic health to its neuroprotective qualities, insulin resistance, dermatological effect