School days and memories

It's hard to believe so much time has past since my last post. End of summer/back to school activities have swallowed all my time. I have said many times that days are long, but time flies.
I have found establishing a routine helps, but with several children getting everyone on the same schedule is difficult.  Next to impossible if they are teenagers.
Yesterday morning,  before school, my youngest son and I had a few minutes before he had to get on the bus. Instead of watching TV, he wanted to play a card game with me.
I'm so glad I chose him rather than one of the things that constantly needs my attention. Now we have that memory of laughing together.
One day soon, he will be off to college. Then building his own life away from home. We blink and they are grown.
Days are long, but time flies. Don't waste precious chances to make memories. They are fleeting.

Independence Day

It's a few days after Independence Day and I've been pondering about our country. Mainly about the strange look I got telling people "Happy Independence Day" rather than " Happy 4th of July". It happened several times over the course of the day.
Now I feel I should always make that distinction.  After all, one is the actual holiday celebrating our country's  declaration of freedom feom England. The other is a day on the calendar.  I know what everyone means, or should mean. But the confusion on some faces makes me wonder.
Is the meaning of Independence Day slipping away? Is it just a fun day for grilling and fireworks?  I hope you had a lovely day with people you enjoy with grilling and fireworks.  And also remembering what the holiday is really about.
Freedom has never been free. It never will be. Please enjoy it, but also remember how we obtained it. And how we have kept it so far.
We live in a free country. To make choices,  whether they be good or bad. I value that freedom, and I hope you do too.

Summer garden

I was checking my garden yesterday and realized that my garden this year is the smallest one I've had in years. It has been very hot so far this summer.  Heck, even this spring was hot! We seemed to have about a week or two of spring. Then summer was here.
Has the weather this year effected your garden. Did you, like me, only plant a small portion of what you normally plant? Most of the gardeners I've spoken to have scaled back due to the extreme heat.
I'm considering planting a fall garden this year. I've never done the fall planting thing because I'm usually "gardened out" by then. This year may be the year!

Sensitive skin

I have a confession to make. I have sensitive skin. Many products either irritate or at least dry my skin. I've been trying to find out what works for me for most of my life.

I found a few things that don't play well with my system. Mineral oil and petrolatum are two biggies.  I don't ever use products with these in them. Also artificial fragrances and dyes are sometimes a problem.  The only way to know if an individual fragrance or dye will play nice with me is to try it, so I don't always try a new product because of possible problems.

I've found the more natural a product is, the better my skin responds. So I've been trying to convert my bathroom supplies and cleaning supplies to a more natural state.

One thing that makes my skin calm and happy is a good quality cold process soap. But even these can have the dreaded artificial colors and dyes. Beautiful, but usually not for me. The one in my bathroom right now is a peppermint version that I'm loving in the summer heat. This particular bar is from Barclay Soap Company.  Her soap is available at this link.

www.etsy.com/shop/BarclaySoapCo?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Her shampoo bar is also very good. Like any shampoo bar,  you need a vinegar rinse after to smooth the hair back down. But I find it cleans well without overstripping my hair. My curly hair craves moisture so a drying bar wouldn't work for me. After towel drying, I use a leave-in oil conditioner. Someone with finer textured hair would probably need something lighter. My hair is getting healthier as my new routine continues.  I'm finding less hair in my brush and the shower drain.

Even if you don't have sensitive skin, give some of the more natural products a try. Your skin will probably thank you.

Summer heat

Summer's heat is here in full force. Everyone is looking for ways to stay cool. I'm so thankful for my air conditioner!
What do you do to stay cool? Swimming, a cool drink, and popsicles are three good ones. But this summer I have discovered a new one. I tried a mint clay mask and couldn't believe it took me this long to find this cooling, good-for-my-skin treat.
I used the Mint Julip Mask by Queen Helene. Next I'm going to try Marie Rayma's version. Here is a link.
http://www.humblebeeandme.com/cooling-summer-peppermint-mask/#more-6039
Enjoy the summer weather. Back to school time will be here before we know it.

Last night I made an eczema salve for a friend. It was easy, full of ingredients that have shown effective for some people with eczema, and I hope will work for her.

My salve started with Marie Rayma's recipe. You can see the original here.

http://www.humblebeeandme.com/eczema-salve/#more-4400

I changed it around a little. Not because my recipe is better, but I didn't have all the essential oils. So I substituted some that I knew were also good for eczema. 

If you aren't familiar with Marie's site, check it out. She has a huge amount of recipes to make just about any type of skincare you could want. 

www.humblebeeandme.com

Have a blessed day.

School is officially out for summer break. I don't have to get up early tomorrow to wake children for school. It does seem to take my body some time to adjust to the new relaxed schedule., so I probably will wake fairly early anyway.
Do any of you other parents find this to be true? The kids seem to flow with whatever the day brings, and I'm slower to adapt. I don't know if that is age or just responsibility showing itself. What do you think?