This category focuses on all the areas in which we take care of our physical bodies: eating, working out, establishing a morning and evening routine, self-care, meditation, yoga, dancing, etc. We all need to encompass wellness as part of our empowered new chapter of life. However, it will look different for each and every one of us.
I wouldn’t consider myself a makeup person. I like wearing lipstick, and sometimes I will put on some eye shadow and eyeliner, but that is the extent of it. The one thing that I do love is being able to buy facial and body products. This has been my favorite thing to do ever since my kids were little. Part of “me time” was spent combing the racks at Jewel, Dominick’s, or Walgreens looking for and spelling soap bars and body washes. Even now, whenever I go to farmer’s markets or Whole Foods, my favorite place to stop is the section where they have all the goat’s milk body bars. My daughter introduced me to the Everyone brand about a little over a year ago.
Nicole De Khors by Burst at Shopify
Why Do I Like IT
I like their brand for several reasons:
they contain aloe
essential oils are present
duration of time
they use hyaluronic acid
they have multiple uses
Nicole De Khors by Burst at Shopify
Aloe
The benefits of Aloe are never-ending. Aloe helps with inflammation of the skin, mosquito bites, skin problems, and burns. My neighbor and I were outside talking, when she decided to cut off some of her Aloe Vera plant some that I could take some home to help with all of the nice, red mosquito bites that were going up and down my leg. I also gave a few pieces to my daughter to help with her eczema. We hated when we ran out.
Essential Oils
The Everyone products contain essential oils, which are good for some of everything. People use essential oils to replace candles, and to have a calming, relaxing spa effect. They are also used to help with pain and inflammation. There are others who used essential oils to boost their immune system.
Nicole De Khors by Burst at Shopify
Duration of Time
For two people sharing the 32 oz sizes, the Everyone products can last literally for about two to three months. Believe or not, you don’t need a lot. A small amount goes a long way. The bonus is the fact that they use purified water to make their products, which helps those of us who have sensitive skin. The 32 oz. sizes are $9.99 at most stores, and some months, I have been able to get them for 6.99 to 7.99 at health food/all natural stores. It is best when they are that inexpensive to buy two, if possible.
I was so happy because the Everyone Face for Everyday cleanse was on sale for $5.00 at Whole Foods Market. This was over a month ago, and I have a good 60% of the bottle still left.
Hyaluronic Acid
The hyaluronic acid from the Everyone products adds to the hyaluronic acid that is already present in the skin, helping to:
moisturize skin
lessen lines and wrinkles
benefit collagen levels
help with aging skin process
Multiple Uses
The last benefit of the Everyone products that I like is that the lotion and wash have multiple uses:
Everyone Wash: shower, bath, and hair shampoo
Everyone Lotion: face, body, hair
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19
A couple of nights ago, I decided to make a late night concoction of garbanzo beans with peppers and rice. It didn’t take too long, and it was surprisingly good. That was the bonus. Thursday was a pretty busy day, and so at a certain point, I realized that I had to give myself grace, and get some of the things done that I didn’t get done that day on Friday. Worst case scenario: have a small layover on the weekend. I knew God’s grace would be enough to handle what I needed for the day. I just had to remind myself of that several times.
Watching a good movie on Pureflix after cooking this meal sounded like a great idea. However, I guess I was more tired than I thought. The next thing that I knew, I was waking up to the ending credits, and some good Christian music going. I will replay the movie tonight, as well as the movie that I fell asleep on last night: “The Shunning”, by Beverly Lewis. Guess what? I probably have a list of about 30 or more movies and television shows that I have on my “To Watch” List on my phone. This is just from Pure Flix alone.
Here is the recipe:
Garbanzo Beans with Rice & Yellow Peppers
Activity: Making Garbanzo Beans with Peppers & Rice
Total Prepping and Cooling Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of rice
Mixed Greens with garlic, Onion, and Sea Salt
2 cans of Garbanzo Beans
1/2 cup of Nutritional Yeast
2 tablespoons of turmeric
2 teaspoons of cumin
garlic powder
two yellow peppers
Directions:
Cook the rice in two cups of water.
While the rice is cooking,
cut up and saute the yellow peppers.
saute the mixed greens.
boil the beans.
When the rice is done, dump it into the mixed greens, along with the yellow peppers and all of the rest of the ingredients, adding about a cup of water to the mix.
It’s amazing how much flavor the nutritional yeast gives this recipe.
This past weekend was one of a lot of relaxation, mixed in with an onset of allergies that came crashing my way. When my allergies get this bad, the best thing for me to do is to try to relax as much as possible, although this was my plan for the weekend anyway. While relaxing, I got caught up on the episodes of Baked in Vermont and Focus on the Family that were sitting in the DVR box. I am not a super sweets person. However, by the time that you finish watching this show, you’ll be wanting to bake with whatever ingredients that you can get your hands on.
On Sunday, I stopped at the grocery store after church to get the ingredients for this super quick vegan meal. I love the challenge of making healthy meals involving all different kinds of beans and legumes. One thing about this meal is that it only requires a few ingredients. I made the same recipe a couple of weeks ago. However, I used black-eyed peas instead of black beans. Both meals were good and filling. The black bean version kept me full longer. If you decide to give it a try, send a comment down below, or an email with your thoughts on how it turned out.
Here is the recipe:
Activity: Making Vegan Black Beans with Quinoa & Zucchini Mix
Total Prepping and Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
3 teaspoons of onion powder
3 zucchinis
3 cans of organic black beans
1 box of Earthly Grains Quinoa/Brown Rice Blend with Rosemary and Olive Oil (from Aldi’s)
1/4 cup of olive oil or butter
Directions:
Place the three cans of black beans and the brown rice with rosemary packet into a pan of two cups of water. (I only used a fourth of the packet to cut down on sodium).
Add the onion powder.
Cut the zucchini into strips with a potato peeler.
Saute the zucchini strips.
Dump the zucchini into the pan after about 18 minutes, letting the mixture cook for another 12 minutes.
Enjoy!
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35, NIV
Today, I am featuring a guest blog post “Improve Your Health with a Simplified Beauty Routine and Natural Products” from Breanne Connor at Essential Moves to Wellness.
Do you find the idea of a natural beauty routine a little off-putting? Look, I get it. Why would you change out your products that already work?
While your tried-and-true products work great, they are slowly and subtly sabotaging your health.
This post may contain affiliate links. I only promote products I use and love. You can read more about it on my disclaimer page.
A Natural Beauty Routine Defined
What exactly is a natural beauty routine?
It’s a certain lifestyle where all of your beauty products are free from harsh chemicals or ingredients that can cause your body harm.
The thing is, most big-name beauty brands use way too many ingredients, and most of them have been scientifically proven to be harmful. Yet beauty companies continue to use and abuse these ingredients.
Some common harsh chemicals include sulfates, parabens, carcinogens, and “fragrance” (source). They can cause anything ranging from skin irritation to infertility to cancer.
Natural beauty products can be homemade, and some are only one or two ingredients!
Start With the Basics
When starting a natural beauty routine, it’s best to start with the absolute basic products and add only what’s necessary for your skin and hair.
A terribly underrated part of a natural beauty routine is many single-ingredient products are very versatile. Take honey, for example. You can use it as a facial mask, replace your shampoo, the list goes on.
See some more of my single-ingredient beauty product swaps with my free download! Just enter your name and email below.
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To help you avoid overwhelm, I’m going to list what I think are the absolute basics for every beauty routine. Give these suggestions a go, and add on anything else as you go through your natural lifestyle journey.
Body and Facial Wash: Norwex Cloths
I’m sure you’re wondering, “What on Earth are Norwex Cloths??”
Norwex is an amazing company that sells microfiber cloths designed to pick up any unwanted microscopic organisms on a surface. Whether it be your body, or kitchen counters!
These cloths are literally the only things that have cleared my body acne, and I haven’t bought body wash in years! The antibacterial power of these cloths are the only thing your face and body need to stay clean.
Toner: Rose Water
I know that toner may seem like an unnecessary product, but it actually is very helpful for keeping an even and youthful skin tone.
Rose water helps balance your skin’s PH, control excess oil, heals scars, and so much more! (source)
You can find rose water at any health food store, or even the vitamin section of your local grocery store. I get rose water in a fine mist bottle specifically meant to be a toner. I just spray it all over my face after washing and let it air dry!
Moisturizer and Hair Oil: Argan Oil
I used Argan oil on face as a moisturizer for years before I decided to make my own! There are so many benefits, including repair to damaged skin, anti-frizz, and quick absorption for perfect moisture! (source)
After every shower or every time I washed my face, I would put a few drops of Argan oil on my fingertips and massage it into my skin. Then I would put a few more drops in my palms and run it through the ends of my hair.
Deodorant: Lavender Essential Oil or Any Chemical-Free Brand
Okay okay, I know that lavender essential oil sounds a little crazy for deodorant, but believe me when I say that it works!
Lavender has a very strong antifungal and antibacterial property, so just a drop or two per armpit has enough power to keep you smelling fresh all day!
You can get pure, high-quality lavender oil for a good price if you click here at Rocky Mountain Oils. It’s safe to apply to skin, or use a carrier oil if you like, such as almond or jojoba oil.
Now if that’s too weird for you, I get it. I tend to use store-bought deodorant that I know is free of harsh chemicals. We can’t just DIY everything, right?
How do you know if your deodorant is safe? I have a little secret weapon called the Think Dirty App. It’s an amazing little app on your phone that lets you scan products to see how clean they are.
Now I’ll admit that toothpaste is one area that I haven’t found much success in terms of safe ingredients. While there are some perfectly safe products out there, they are not effective for me at all.
There was one brand that I used for months, but my teeth looked like they weren’t brushed at all! I later found out that I was basically brushing my teeth with watered-down clay.
The only brand I recommend is Tom’s of Maine. They have several safe options that scored well on the Think Dirty app, and my teeth are staying clean!
Shampoo and Conditioner: Any Chemical-Free Brand
I’d love to list a Holy Grail brand for hair care here, but there is no one amazing shampoo for everybody. We all have different hair types, so this one will take a little research on your part.
But I’m not going to leave you completely hanging! Some brands that I love and trust are Desert Essence, Shea Moisture, and Calia Natural. All of these brands have amazing ratings on the Think Dirty App.
Also, you don’t need to have an app on your phone to tell what is natural and what’s not. I have a handy post on How to Tell if Your Natural Products are Actually Natural. Just because something says “natural” on it, doesn’t mean it actually is free of harsh chemicals, and this post tells you how to navigate through the confusion.
Razors: Get a Safety Razor
I bet you’re thinking, “What? I even need to change my razor?” The answer is yes, yes you do.
You know that little lubricating strip on your razor? That thing is chock full of unknown stuff that the razor company isn’t even obligated to list. Throw it out now!
Now that I’ve somewhat overwhelmed you with my favorite basics for simplifying your beauty routine, go forward and try what speaks to you!
It will certainly be a journey, and it will be very gradual. I personally started out with nixing my toxic shampoo and conditioner and slowly worked from there. You can read about my journey and 5 Things About Going Chemical-Free that No One Will Tell You.
I hope that this post sparks your own journey to a natural lifestyle. I’ve never felt better, and I’ve certainly never looked back.
Now I want to challenge you! Take a look at the ingredient list of one or two of your beauty products. Ask yourself if you’re okay with what you’re putting on your hair or skin every day.
If not, I challenge you to try natural products! I’ll be rooting for you along the way!
Would you be up for switching out some of your beauty products? Let me know in the comments below!
About the Author
Breanne Connor
Breanne is the owner of the blog Essential Moves to Wellness, where she writes about getting the most out of a healthy lifestyle. Her posts range from DIY beauty to ballet to mental health and wellness. When Breanne isn’t writing, she loves to crochet, tutor other writers, and dance ballet. Check out her blog for more on healthy living.
As you all know, I like mixing all different ingredients together to see what kind of concoction that I can come up with. The other night, I decided to make gemelli pasta with sauteed zucchini. It was quick and tasty. When the kids and I lived in our last place, I got the idea of using the potato peeler to peel my zucchini in strips, and then saute them. On one particular night, I made zucchini strips, tried out a couple of strips, and then went upstairs to do something. By the time I got back, all of the strips were gone. My daughter said, “Oh, those were good”. She had just told me that she didn’t want any.
One thing about pasta is that it is inexpensive, and you have the option to do a lot of different things with it:
eat it hot or cold
use salad dressing, butter, pesto, or pasta sauce as a topping
dump meat or vegan alternative to add protein
add vegetables to make it more colorful and exciting
season with pepper and olive oil to add more flavor
Here is the recipe:
Activity: Making Gemelli Pasta with Zucchini
Total Prepping and Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
two teaspoons of onion powder
two teaspoons of italian seasoning
two teaspoons of garlic powder
two teaspoons of cumin
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 box gemelli pasta
2 zucchinis
1 jar of pasta sauce
Directions:
Add pasta to boiling water.
Add olive oil to water so that the pasta won’t stick.
While the pasta is boiling, cut the zucchini into strips using a potato peeler.
Saute the zucchini, and rinse the pasta off using a colander.
Dump the zucchini, and all the rest of the ingredients into the pot and serve.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4
Last week, I went on an adventure of trying to figure out what meals to make with the ingredients that were left. You know that it’s time to go grocery shopping soon when you start getting really creative. Either that, you’re feeling adventurous, or you’re bored. One of the three. What I ended up doing was making my own version of chili. It turned out pretty good. Last night, I decided to make it again since I had leftover ingredients. My son actually gave me a thumbs up. If he doesn’t like how something tastes, trust me, he isn’t scared to speak his mind in that area.
Racing to Get Out
It’s funny because I heated up a bowl of chili. Then, I decided that I would take a walk for some fresh air, and also drop three books off at the Train Station library while I was at it. Right before leaving out, I went upstairs to grab something. That’s when my son asked, “What are you eating down there?” And to which I replied, “A chili concoction that I made. Do you want some? Of course, the answer was yes. I had to quick heat him up some because it was starting to get dark outside, and then rush to take a quick fifteen minute walk and head on. If you are feeling adventurous, how about giving it a try. Drop a line below to let me know how yours turned out. Here is the simple recipe:
Because of the fact that my daughter is vegan, I am constantly trying to come up with vegan recipes that are fun, tasty, and simple. For quite some time now, I was thinking of trying to make vegan hamburger patties using the ground crumble, but I was unsure of what the results would be, considering that the ground crumble could simply fall apart if it isn’t bound well.
Finally, last week I gave it a try. To be more specific, I gave the vegan bites a try. The hamburger patties will be for another day and another post. I made one big bowl of this mixture. At first, I only cooked about 20% of the bowl, and refrigerated the rest. Later that day, I cooked the rest of the bowl. I noticed the difference immediately. Refrigerating the mixture causes it to stiffen and thicken up to a better consistency. Thus, my recommendations for you would be to make the mixture, and refrigerate the mixture for one hour, and then start scooping the bites. The one thing that I like about this recipe is the fact that the Mexican crumble has enough of a spicy kick, that you don’t need a lot of seasoning. Please enjoy and have a wonderful Labor Day!
Well, as you have probably figured out by now, there can’t be any cooking going on in this house without a little bit of drama attached to it. A couple of weeks ago, my daughter called me while I was over my friend’s house, and she stated that the oven had been on preheat for 40 minutes, but still didn’t come on. Hmmm. Okay, breathe. She proceeded to tell me that she didn’t realize we had just ran out of oil, so the meal that she tried cooking stuck to the bottom of the skillet, and she had to end up throwing it out. Okay, breathe. I definitely had to take a few minutes to process this one. This became number 4 on our list of repairs that needed to be done, and will have to wait.
Fast forward, my son and I were in the grocery store early last week, and I decided that I would make two breakfast bread casseroles. They would last for a week, and the kids could heat them up in the microwave and head out to school. After getting all of the ingredients except the tin foil pans from Dollar Tree, I thought, “Wait a minute. The oven doesn’t work.” This is when Plan B went into effect. My grandmother used to always say, ” There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Although I don’t think anyone would do that. Back to the story. I kept thinking to myself would it be possible to make a bread casserole in a slow cooker. I checked Pinterest, but their slow cookers were rectangular shaped, and their casseroles were not like mine. Well, you know me by now. I decided that the worst thing that could happen is that the casserole didn’t come out right. Praise God! It was delicious! I hope you feel brave enough to try my concoction. My kids loved it. I made a vegan one, and then the next night, I made a non-vegan one. Please feel free to email me with your favorite slow cooker recipes with permission, and I will post it for others to see. Have a blessed night, and happy cooking!
Activity: Making a Vegan & Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Casserole
Total Prepping and Cooking Time: 2.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 pack of hash browns
1 pack of ground turkey
1 pack of Lightlife Meatless Mexican Crumbles (vegan casserole)
1 can of fire-roasted salsa style diced tomatoes
1 can of cut-leaf spinach
3 tablespooons of oil
3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (vegan casserole)
2 cups of unsalted chicken broth
3 teaspoons of onion powder
3 teaspoons of garlic powder
3 teaspoons of cumin
3 teaspoons of turmeric
3 teaspoons of marjoram
3 slices of vegan bread
3 slices of non-vegan bread
1 cup of water
3 cups of milk
Directions:
Make a layer of eight to ten hash browns for layer 1.
Add the layer of uncooked meat, making sure to even distribute across.
Add half of the can of spinach.
Add half of the can of tomatoes.
Break up three slices of bread into cubes.
Add the water, broth, nutritional yeast, oil, and all the rest of the seasonings.
Add 1 1/2 cups of milk. (I used oat milk.)
Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Psalms 122:1, KJV
This is a super quick and easy recipe to make for lunch or dinner. Depending on how many pounds of black lentils that you buy, you can have this to last for 5 to 7 days, even with a large family. As I mentioned in one of my more recent posts, you are going to see a lot of recipes where I use cut-leaf spinach and fire-roasted salsa style diced tomatoes. This is also one of them. They are inexpensive, and I love the combination. The tomatoes give just the right kick without being overwhelming.
It would be too much like right if I could just give the recipe without a background story or some drama behind an ingredient. My friend and I went into Whole Foods about a month ago. When we got in the store, we both went our separate ways. I was happily pouring items into bags and weighing them over in the bulk session. My friend and her daughter were in bliss over in the bakery section. I was just finishing up on grabbing the black lentils, when I decided that I would purchase some split green peas. I pulled the lever down, and the lever got stuck. Literally six to seven pounds of split green peas went all over the floor, and inside the squares into between the bulk items. A worker came over to sweep up the mess. I tried to explain what happened, but I don’t think it was any comfort. She gave me grace by not saying anything and grabbing the broom and dustpan to take care of the clean-up job. At this point, I was thinking, maybe I should grab the almond flour and head to the front.
Black Lentil Soup with Rice
By the time that I got to the register, my friend and her daughter were there. I tell her about what happened, and how I had an embarrassing moment in the bulk section. She proceeded to tell me about her embarrassing moment in the bakery section. What’s an adventure to the grocery store without a little bit of drama? Here’s the recipe:
Activity:
Making Black Lentil Soup with Rice
Total Prepping and Cooking Time:
70 minutes
Ingredients:
garlic powder
onion powder
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
paprika
cumin
curry
turmeric
italian seasoning
Imagine low sodium vegan broth
2 pds. of black lentils
1 can of cut leaf spinach
2 cans of fire-roasted salsa style diced tomatoes
Directions:
Boil two cups of white rice.
While the white rice is bowling, boil 8 cups of water, and add two pounds of black lentils after the water starts boiling.
The lentils need to cook for about 35 minutes.
Saute the spinach and tomatoes with oil or vegan butter.
After the lentils are ready, add the broth and all the rest of the ingredients, except the rice.
Cook for another 15 minutes.
I kept the rice on the side and poured the black lentil soup on top.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The Venture-Making Oatmeal Pumpkin Seed Coconut Cookies
I had been itching for the last couple of weeks to make oatmeal pumpkin seed coconut cookies. There are several reasons that it hadn’t happened yet:
Didn’t have the time
Had the time, but didn’t have the energy
Had the time and the energy, but I had a sink full of dishes already
Oatmeal Pumpkin Coconut cookies
Well, a few days ago, I finally got to baking the cookies. They were surprisingly delicious. On the cooking shows, they say that things are so good that they make you want to slap someone. For my purpose here, I will say that they make you want to jump up and down and dance. My kids laugh at me because most of the things that I cook or bake usually starts with my mind going, ” Oh, I wonder what would happen if I mix this and that together.” That’s what happened with these cookies. Most of the times I have good results. Other times, it’s one of those things where you know there’s always next time. I call them my concoctions. I bought the almond flour about a month ago, so I didn’t have to worry about having to run out and get it. This was my first time ever using it for baking, and I loved it. Well, so much for rambling on…
Second View of Oatmeal Cookies
I set the oven for 350 degrees, at a 22-minute timer. At 17 minutes into the baking, the entire house smelled like almonds. My daughter said, “Mom, I think that you need to check the cookies. They smell ready.” I felt them and they were still soft. However, she reminded me that they will finish cooking even after I take them out. She was right. She is the one who is the baker, but I am learning. I hope that you enjoy these cookies. I think that next time I will add quinoa. Here is the recipe:
Third View of Oatmeal Pumpkin Coconut Cookies
Activity: Making Oatmeal Pumpkin Coconut Cookies
Prepping and Baking Time: 33 minutes
Ingredients:
(1/4) cup unsweetened coconut flakes
(1 1/2) cup of almond milk
(1/4) cup of grapeseed & sunflower seed oil blend
(1/4) cup of sunflower seeds
(1/4) cup of pumpkin seeds
(1/4) cup of raisins
(1 1/4) cup of almond flour
(1 1/4) cup of oatmeal
(1) teaspoon of vanilla extract
(1/2) cup of brown sugar
(1/2) teaspoon of baking soda
(1) tablespoon of chia seeds
(3) tablespoons of flaxseed meal and 4.5 tablespoons of water mixed together
Directions:
Use parchment paper or grease a full-sized cookie sheet with oil.
Whisk together the following in bowl number one: almond flour, oatmeal, baking soda, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
Mix together the following in bowl number two: grapeseed oil, coconut flakes, flaxseed meal mixture, almond milk, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
Dump bowl number one into bowl number two and mix well.
Use a cookie scoop to form balls with the cookie mixture and place them on the cookie sheet.
Enjoy and have a blessed weekend!
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Psalms 91:4
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