August 13, 2010

A Year of Herbs: Pregnancy and the Use of Essential Oils, Part 2

Neroli

Guest Post by Kimberly of Fertility Flower Continuing on from yesterday's post on the safe use of essential oils in pregnancy, and the first two oils, Lavender and Bergamot. Using Neroli, Chamomile and Geranium Like bergamot, Neroli is part of the family of citrus essential oils. Also known as 'orange blossom,' it requires 1000 blossoms to arrive at 1 pound of oil making it one of the most precious essential oils available. Neroli essential oil is fantastic for skin regeneration making it an excellent choice [...]

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August 12, 2010

A Year of Herbs: Pregnancy and the Use of Essential Oils

essential oil bottles

Guest Post by Kimberly of Fertility Flower **Stephanie's note: I had originally intended to put up a tomato canning tutorial tomorrow, but this post was long, and yet so full of good information, whether you are pregnant or simply want to learn more about the use of essential oils! So it will continue tomorrow, and you can expect the canning post on Monday... see you then!** As botanical products, essential oils smell divine but I'm not sure how much weight people place on their power [...]

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August 10, 2010

Insomnia: How to Find Sleep Naturally

Sleeping Baby

Guest Post by Andrea Lack of sleep is common when you are raising infants. But what happens when your infants have reached their teens and you still can’t sleep? Insomnia affects millions of people but is 41% more prevalent in women than in men. For me, lack of sleep has meant I’m not capable of being the mother I want to be. I’ve found myself drifting off in the afternoons or needing to lie down and power nap – even if for just 15 minutes. [...]

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July 6, 2010

Charting Primer: Using the Sympto-Thermal Method to Predict Ovulation

Fertility Flower Block Ad 125.125

Guest Post Written by Kimberly Racic Hi, I'm Kimberly and I'm behind a project called Fertility Flower. Stephanie asked me to prepare a primer on fertility charting using the Sympto-Thermal method and I was happy to oblige. First off, let me say that charting is really, really easy. Once you get the fundamentals down, it becomes second nature. Charting is also incredibly valuable. It can be used to maximize the chances of a pregnancy or it can be used to avoid a pregnancy naturally without [...]

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June 28, 2010

The Soy Decoy: Don’t Be Deceived

soy milk next to real milk

Guest Post by Katie Fox I know it goes against everything we hear these days about healthy eating, but I'm here today to tell you that I don't eat soy products, and I don't think you should eat soy products, either. There.  I came right out and said it.  Might as well get the controversy right out in the open from the start, right? (wink) Honestly, I'm not looking for a fight.  In my real off-line life, I almost never talk about dietary choices with [...]

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May 31, 2010

Real Food Makeover: The Startup Family, Part 2

cranberry muffins

This is Part 2 of the Real Food Makeover for the Startup family, and the very last of all the Real Food Makeovers! Lessening the Grip of Sugary Beverages One of the 3 baby steps that I suggested in Part 1 was to decrease their consumption of sugary snacks and beverages. It's important to decrease sugar consumption in general for a million different reasons, but in particular processed sugary foods (like snack cakes and donuts, and especially syrupy soda pop) are full of High-Fructose Corn [...]

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May 24, 2010

Real Food Makeover: The Startup Family

startup family photo

This week's makeover is for the Startup Family. Meet Kim, Jim and sons Matthew (16) and Stephen (14). How They Currently Eat: I am so pleased to introduce you to the Startup family, because I admire what they are doing. Mom is aware of just how much their diet needs to change, and I think it is so courageous and admirable of her to sign up to do this Real Food Makeover. Kim, you're amazing in my books! Their diet includes a lot of starch [...]

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May 18, 2010

Real Food Makeover: The Woody Family, Part 2

red pot

At long last, I'm back to completing this Real Food Makeover series! Thank you for your patience with me as I took a couple of weeks off from doing any heavy writing, while I launched my new book (Real Food on a Real Budget) and my new site design. Phew! Let's continue... A Sample Weekly Meal Plan Since the Woody family is in a similar season to our family (3 young children and a busy mama who needs meals that are relatively quick and easy) [...]

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