You either love beets or you do not. Either way, the non-beet lovers just may convert over this one. Nothing tastes more earthy than a fresh from the garden beet.
These powerful little roots are packed with tons of nutrition. Beets are rich in folate (vitamin B9) which helps cells grow and function. Folate plays a key role in controlling damage to blood vessels, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Beets are naturally high in nitrates, which are turned into nitric oxide in the body. Plus, they may help reduce inflammation in the body. Because these amazing roots are “cool”, in the Ayurveda world they are an excellent choice for reducing the overly hot Pitta that often accumulates in many this time of year. You can check out this post to learn more about Pitta balancing.
Beets come in the traditional deep reddishish purple, but they also come in orange and yellow. Beets contain fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins, and are low in calories making it a perfect choice for an elegant appetizer.
Beet Caprese
Oven roast the beets until they become soft, about an hour depending on size. Cool the beets and then peel and slice the beets into hefty size coins.
Layer softened goat cheese with beet coins making stacks.
Simmer one cup balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan until it reduces into a sticky goodness.
Drizzle beet stacks with balsamic glaze, top with baby arugula and enjoy!
Planting flowers and vegetables can reap bountiful bouquets and delicious harvests for your dining table. But did you know gardening also can do wonders for your well-being?
Beginning my day with an easy stroll through my gardens helps me start my day from a place of quiet groundedness. You might even hear me whisper good wishes to the plants that they have a beautiful day of growth. The first place I go when I am done with work is back to the garden. Being there helps with me unwind after a long day and provides me with a different kind of being productive, but also much needed quiet time.
I have found that not only does spending time with my plants help my stress it also has an array of other benefits.
Check this out:
Gardening can build self-esteem.
Maybe you don’t think you were born with a green thumb, but after tilling, planting, nurturing and harvesting plants, you might see a slightly different person in the mirror: a person who can grow things and is a little more in tune with the earth.
It always feels good to accomplish new tasks, and if you can grow a garden, what can’t you do
Gardening is good for your heart.
All that digging, planting and weeding burns calories and strengthens your heart.
“There are physical benefits from doing the manual labor of gardening,” says UNC Health internal medicine physician Robert Hutchins, MD, MPH. “It’s hard work to garden, and it provides some cardiovascular benefit.”
Gardening reduces stress.
Gardening can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
“Gardening gives you a chance to focus on something and put your mind to work with a goal and a task in mind,” Dr. Hutchins says, “which is helpful especially now with so much illness and death and talk of death, just to see things growing and things thriving.”
Gardening can make you happy.
Getting dirt under your nails while digging in the ground can make you pretty happy. In fact, inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety.
Gardening can improve your hand strength.
All that digging, planting and pulling does more than produce plants. Gardening also will increase your hand strength. What a great way to keep your hands and fingers as strong as possible for as long as possible.
Gardening is good for the whole family.
Gardening can be a solo activity or an opportunity for bonding with your family and friends. The happiness and stress relief that gardening provides is a great thing to share with loved ones. Also, gardening has special benefits for kids. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to numerous health benefits, from reducing allergies to autoimmune diseases. Plus, when they pull a carrot from the ground for the first time you will see pure happiness and awe.
Gardening can give you a boost of vitamin D.
A healthy dose of vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. Exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate amounts of vitamin D. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.
Growing your own food can help you eat healthier.
If you have a vegetable or herb or fruit garden, you’re getting fresh produce that you know hasn’t been treated with pesticides.
“It’s essentially as farm-to-table as it gets,” Dr. Hutchins says, “if you’re eating what you’re growing.”
Are you ready to start planning next seasons garden?
Gratitude is the #1 way to shift out of low frequency emotions like fear, grief, shame and lack… and into high frequency emotions like joy, peace, trust and love.
What if you started saying 5 DIFFERENT things you’re grateful for every single day.
Try it! it has changed my life!
Gratitude is the best way to shift your mood! I hope you enjoy this diffuser blend today and I invite each of you to pause for a moment, and think of something that YOU are grateful for today.
This blend includes pure essential oils and amber chips perfectly crafted. Grab one!
For kids, cut the amount of essential oils in half!
If you’re curious about how easy it is to add essential oils into your life, check out this gorgeous ebook. I also have a great community of learning and mentoring.
My veggie garden is taking a slow start this year despite plenty of sun and rain. While the bounty is slow to start, the weeds are in full bloom around my garden. I have little clover type weeds and random grasses popping up.
Since I plan to eat my crops I definitely don’t want to use a chemical weed killer. In fact, I don’t know about you, but where I live I am seeing less and less bees and hummingbirds this year. The mighty pollinators are disappearing and it’s a little scary. The chemicals I see my neighbors using plays a huge role in the cycle of pollinators and our natural environment doing what it is supposed to do.
I am opting to use this super cheap, super effective, and super safe for ALL beings (including animals and insects).
It’s so easy. I ran to the dollar store and grabbed a spray bottle, some epsom salt, white vinegar and dish soap. I have plenty of oils on hand but you could also skip adding them. Although, the clove is an added punch for the harder to kill weeds.
Check out this handy essential oil guide to see how easy they are to add to all areas of your life.
Losing a battle or losing everything we possessed will bring us moments of sadness. But when those moments pass, we will discover the hidden strength that exists in each of us, a strength that will surprise us and increase our self-respect. —Paulo Coelho
Determination is defined as the ability to continue trying to do something.
Do you have what it takes to push through even the hardest and most unlikely circumstances to succeed? Do you have the will to make things happen despite being faced with struggle? Do you give up because it is challenging?
What if the things that you think limit you could instead inspire you?
It took allowing myself to feel like I lost it all to find my inner determination and strength. And just like this little sunflower, I found my way through the tiniest cracks of hope.
There is nothing better than fresh sheets on the bed. Did you know that fabric softener sheets is one of the most toxic things in your home??
Switching to a natural fabric softener is easy and so much more cost effective. Your clothes and bed sheets will smell amazing and be less staticky and no toxins!
Recipe for natural fabric softener:
1 tsp Witch Hazel or Vodka
Water
30 drops Lavender (or essential oil of choice)
Directions:
Add witch hazel, water, and essential oil into a 2 oz spray bottle and spray linens! You can also use wool dryer balls and either spray the balls, or add essential oils straight from the bottles onto the dryer balls! This helps reduce static clean AND makes your sheets (or clothes) smell amazing and no awful toxins!
Bonus: the lavender will help you relax and drift off to dreamland.
Curious how essential oils can work into your world? Check this gorgeous ebook out. Plus, I offer some amazing mentoring and education along the way.
Did you know that liquid dish soap is another one with a high score on the Think Dirty app. We all use it though, so it might be nice to just make our own!
Fill a large, clean bottle with castile soap and essential oils To use, shake and add 1-2 tbsp to dishwater or a small amount to a natural sponge
So simple, yet again, MASSIVE impact!
Once you start to swap out these super expensive grocery store products with an easy DIY one, you will be shocked at why it took you so long to jump on board!
Not a DIY-er??? Whip out that On Guard concentrate cleaner! It has instructions right on the bottle for how to use it as dish soap!???
Ready to learn more about essential oils? This gorgeous ebook will give you the basics!
I just spent five glorious days in Florida and spent four of them at the beach! Being a natural redhead offers me a challenge when it comes to my skin and the sun. I am a rare redhead that actually tans–if I use sunscreen and take it slow. I try to take breaks in the shade and not spend hours in the sun on the first day.
I am so thankful to have this simple and affordable DIY spray to sooth the skin. This is safe for kids and adults and the oils in this combo are also great for sleep, anxious feelings, cleaning, aches and pains, and MUCH more. Seriously.
Depending on the size of the glass bottle, you add:
lavender—soothing to the skin
melaleuca—keeps skin germ free
peppermint—provides a natural cool
Top off with water
Spray as needed following time in the sun! You can grab all three of these oils HERE and find my favorite glass bottles in my amazon shop!
You can learn more about the endless other ways to use these three versatile essential oils in this free ebook.
This gardeners hand balm is a traditional balm; it is firm in the jar and will melt into the skin as you rub it in (salves are usually softer in consistency). If you prefer the consistency of a salve vs a balm, you could lower the amount of beeswax in the recipe.
Gardeners hand balm soothes dryness, heals cracks and generally helps tired hands.
If you garden or work outside you know how hard the dirt, sun, sweat, etc can be on your hands. This is a great balm to put on after you get inside. But you’ll find it hard to keep everyone out of the jar because it just feels so good on the skin.
The gardeners hand balm isn’t just for HANDS – elbows, knees, heels; anything that needs a little extra hydration and healing. It can also be good for those with eczema.
These little jars are great for gifts too – just wrap some raffia or a pretty ribbon around it.
Easy Peasy!
GARDENERS HAND BALM RECIPE WITH HEALING LAVENDER
2.5 oz of Beeswax ~Firms the balm and adds a layer of protection to the skin when applied.
2.5 oz of Shea Butter ~Healing, protecting, fights aging and deeply moisturizing to the skin
5.5 oz of Coconut Oil ~Naturally moisturizing with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties
2.5 oz of Sweet Almond Oil ~Filled with Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, proteins, potassium and zinc
30 – 40 drops of high quality Lavender Essential Oil ~Known to clean and soothe cuts. burns and other skin irritations. The scent is also calming to the mind and body.
GARDENERS HAND BALM RECIPE – DIRECTIONS
Prepare your double boiler
Add your Beeswax to the double boiler and melt completely
Add Shea Butter to the Beeswax and allow it to melt completely
Add in Coconut oil, I stir with a fork that I only use for making balms, lotions, etc
Add in Sweet Almond Oil, stir
Once everything look completely meshed together remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 2 – 3 minutes
Allow it to harden for a few hours – or put it in the refrigerator, like I do, to speed up the process
Your Gardeners Hand Balm is now ready to use. Keep some for yourself and share as gifts. FYI, I often keep a jar in the fridge because I find it extra soothing in the summer heat.
Enjoy! To learn more about the many uses of essential oils, check out this free gorgeous ebook.
Earlier this week I was sitting in the drive up waiting for my coffee and I got to thinking about how much time I spend thinking about the future. Where we are going next, what task is next, what bite of food is next, what class to teach is next, what thing to do is next, what worry is next, what dreadful event is next, what is next?!
Wait.
What if instead I just sat with the sun blinding me, enjoying the song on my radio (Bruce of course), and allowed myself to BE.
I am all for planning and strategizing but sinking in to the moment was awesome.
Lesson of the day? Don’t rush the moment to get to the next thing. Enjoy this thing!
