Avocavo Oil, Olive Oil and Lavender Oil

Avocado oil has changed my life too. I use this to moisturize my face and hands. Its a natural sunscreen. Its not alot so I get a healthy amount of sunshine. I don't use sunblock because I haven't found anything that doesn't cause a reaction.

Using this along with the olive oil soap has made me the prettiest I've been since being a mother. The hormonal changes from my two pregnancies left my skin a real mess. I stopped using lotion when I saw the midwives in the hospital using olive oil on the new born babies. My midwife said that I should continue to use it on Jazz, but I could add Lavender essential oil for protection against diaper rash. Its also great against mosquitoes.

Even though the skin on my body was great, I didn't like the olive oil on my face. I was still using the Neutrogena Acne products. Now that my acne is gone, due to the olive oil soap, I don't need a medicated moisturizer. Olive oil takes longer to absorb into the skin than Avocado oil and it doesn't have any SPF. It doesn't smell pretty, but one can only smell it fresh out of the bottle.

Bye Bye

Look at all of this that i'm giving away!!! JJ keeps getting into my cleaning closet and these things are not that secure in there. The 5 things on the left have been replaced by white vinegar. The last item is a conditioner for hard wood. Olive oil has replaced it.

White vinegar works soooooooo much better than all of these for a fraction of the cost. No more specialized cleaners for me. I'll keep my dish detergent, but I use it on the floors and counters too.

I can't wait to find a replacement for my dish washer tabs. I found a natural laundry replacement. It's in the mail.

Clean Bathrooms

My hubby had a few meetings in Prague last week. Since the kids were on vacation, we came along. Children and car rides longer than 2 hours means lots of stops. Here in Germany, it is not a problem. Look at this bathroom!!!! The room is fresh and clean. The pull down table has extra diapers, wet wipes, and a roll of paper to protect the baby from the plastic changing pad. Notice the toilet bowl brush next to the toilet. Folks here are responsible for cleaning up after oneself.

In September, we're going to the States to visit folks. We're traveling by car up and down the East Coast and I'm not looking forward to the stops. I pray that we don't catch some US super cootie.

Reading list

The following are a list of all the great and very helpful blogs that I'm currently reading.

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/
This site has jammin' recipes. I love her raspberry muffins, caramel popcorn and tomato soup.

http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/
This site has chickens!! and lots of interesting ideas about cooking and saving money.

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/
This site has interesting ways to customize my favorite big box store items.

http://www.youtube.com/
This site has everything you can imagine about everything from news to hobbies from professionals to enthusiasts.

http://ch131.com/
http://realitytvfan.org/
These sites keep me up-to-date on some of my favorite TV shows.

Pets

After seeing Marley & Me, movie about a Labrador and his master, my hubby and I have wanted a pet. I didn't grow up with any animals, but he grew up with a cat. It gets cold here and I can't imagine walking a dog in the winter. Cats are moody and we have plenty that visit our yard on a daily basis.

Since accepting my life as a SaHM, I've been reading alot about how best to manage a household. Lots of the blogs I've been reading talk about being self sufficient and living an organic lifestyle. The cheapest way to do that is to grow and raise one's own food. I actually have the space to do this.

Next year, we will plant some fruit trees and berry bushes. We will also grow a variety of herbs and veggies as well. One of the things of a successful garden is compost, a nutrient rich soil additive. Its basically decomposed plant material. Once our yard is done, it will be easy to put the compost system next to our garbage.

Several of the ladies have chickens. The hens are usually raised from chicks. They normally don't get roosters because they are noisey and don't produce eggs. From the accounts I've read hens make good pets. They have distinct personalities and are quite entertaining. I'm really looking into setting up a coop next year. I hope I'm zoned for it.

I gotta do something. My hormones are telling me to get pregnant again. Every baby I see melts my heart. I know better not to get pregnant again anytime soon.