What are your numbers?

Recently I attended a ladies night out event as a vendor and next to me was a woman who's booth was about a new skin line that is toxin free... and she was trying to tell people about how bad the chemicals in the skin care products that everyone uses are. She wanted people to sign up for "poison parties", where she goes to their home and tells them how horrible their products are... needless to say no one wanted to sign up and most people told her straight out, "I don't want to know". To be truly honest i think the approach was too strong.

Don't get me wrong, I am the first one to say that all the "CRAP" in these skin care products are just awful and are really and truly killing you SLOWLY! But, not sure if a booth that throws "poison parties" is the way to go... i think that is too much scary information all at once for people. I would advocate the toxin free skin care line and explain why it is so important to rid yourself of all those chemical infested products in a more subtle way.

SO, here is my subtle way of telling you, there is a website called Skin Deep Cosmetic Database,( http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1 ). This website will tell you what your current products contain, how bad each chemical is and what they are known to cause, it also rates your product form 0-10, 0-being the best and 10-being the worst. I encourage you to look up all your skin care products and see what your numbers are...

Remember that your skin is your biggest organ and anything you put on your skin is absorbed directly into your blood system and does NOT go thru your body's toxin removal process (liver and kidneys) so all the chemicals directly effect your entire body.

Here are some of my recommendations to replace your current products:

Body lotion: Alba Natural Body Lotion - Unscented

Hair products: Giovanni Hair products

Deodorant: Tom's of Maine - The one with the roller works the best.

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine

Hand soap: Pure Castile Soap

Detergent: Seventh Generation

Facial care: I use Nonie of Beverly Hills, but there are many other ones out there that are good and chemical free... just make sure to look it up on the database first.

You can order most of these products on http://www.luckyvitamin.com/ for half the price that you would pay at Target or Henry's.

I fell in LOVE at the LA County Fair! - Koko Pellis Wellness

Okay, so as most of you know I am an all natural, organic and chemical free junkie! I love all things that take us back to the era where everything came from the ground and not some lab… So yesterday a few of my friends and I went on our annual trip to the LA Fair, and of course because we are true shoppers at heart we went to all the shops they have set up there… As we strolled around something “old school” caught my eye, it brought back memories of when my mom would make a funnel with newspaper and coat it in olive oil, stick it in my ear and light it! Yes, I said “light it” like with a match! She was cleaning out the wax in my ears. Yes, with FIRE! I know we Mexicans are CRAZY! But it worked so well, I can’t even explain how I felt after. And there hanging on a rack were these “wax-coated funnels”, calling my name! I go into the booth and instantly FALL IN LOVE! I mean this guy had everything for everything! My friend said to me, “you must be going crazy right now” and I was! So needless to say we all bought a bunch of stuff… Here is what I bought:

100% Pure Emu oil: This is good for extremely dry skin, Inflamed Joints, Muscle Sores, Arthritis, Carpul Tunnel, Wrinkles, Damaged Skin, Stretch Marks, Teething, Gingivitis, Rashes, Rosacea, Psoriasis and any inflammation. I mean really this oil is magical.

Pure Oxygen:

• Reduces Headache and Migraine Symptoms.
• Restores alertness and reduces drowsiness while driving.
• Reduces effects of hangover or fatigue.
• Reduces stress from work or other stressful situations.
• Restores energy levels from physical activity.
• Provides temporary relief while traveling at high altitude.
• Restores depleted oxygen level in blood.
• Reduces minor aches and pains including menstrual cramps.
• Improves memory, alertness and concentration levels (short term)
• All natural energy without the caffeine and chemicals of energy drinks

 
Colloidal silver: Here are some of the most common uses:

Eye Infection - In case of pink eye or conjunctivitis, place one or two drops in the eye ever couple of hours.

Ear Infection - Use several drops or more in the ear every few hours.

Nasal Infection - Spray or use several drops or more as needed in each nostril every few hours.

Mouth ulcers and gum infections - Use one to two teaspoons inside mouth, swish for one to two minutes then swallow.

Colds and Flu- Use one to two teaspoons, place in mouth and absorb sublingually under the tongue. Repeat every few hours. Start early to help avert full-blown illness.

Sore throat and strep throat- Gargle with one to two teaspoons for one-minute, every two hours, then swallow.

Cuts, scrapes, mild burns, and abrasions - Apply directly to area or via a band-aid or gauze. Change covering and reapply several time a day.

Urinary tract infections- Oral dosage is one tablespoon taken 3 times daily. Most users report noticeable improvement within two to three days, with the infection generally gone in five to seven days.

Yeast infections- Take a teaspoon every 3-4 hours for up to one month.

Traveling- Take a teaspoon, absorbed sublingually, every few hours.

So, as the googler that I am… I did some research on this stuff, and it looks like people really love it!

So, I am giving it a try and I will report how it worked or didn’t work for me. I am all about a good find, as long as it works… consider me your own private lab mouse (I don’t like rats, so I don’t want to be a lab rat, lol) If all goes well, I might become a representative for this company, and you can purchase your wellness products directly from me!

Update to come soon, promise!

Here is there website: www.kokopeliswellness.com   

Baking Soda - Who knew!

Okay as you all know I try to be as green as possible... In my late night googling I came across some great things you can do with baking soda... I have boxes of that stuff handy to put in my fridge for the smells, but after a month a threw them out with not a second of hesitation... not knowing that I could still use them... The strength of course has diminished a tad, but it still works well enough for me. If you want the full strength you can always use a new box. Not only is baking soda a natural cleaning agent and deodorizer but it also has so many other great uses!


Here's a few great things you can do with plain old baking soda:




1.Clear a clogged drain: Mix ½ cup of baking soda with ½ cup of white vinegar (careful as when you add the vinegar, it may bubble over). Pour down drain followed by 2 cups of boiling water.


2.Deodorize your dishwasher: Simply sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda on the bottom of your dishwasher before running a cycle.


3.Freshen up your sponge: If your kitchen sponge or towel starts to get a bit stinky, soak it overnight in 2 cups of warm water, 2 tbsp of baking soda and 5 drops of tea tree oil.


4.Deodorize your carpet or rug: Lightly sprinkle baking soda over your carpet. Let it settle for ½ an hour and then vacuum.


5.Dandruff remedy: Wet your hair and then rub a handful of baking soda vigorously into your scalp. Shampoo and condition with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-free products and repeat for the next 5 or 6 times that you wash your hair.


6.Mouthwash: If you have bad breath or it's the night after a heavy dose of garlicky pasta, dissolve 1 tsp of baking soda in an 8-ounce glass of water and use as a mouthwash or gargle.


7.Clean combs, brushes: freshen up your bristles by whirling them around in a bowl of 3 cups of warm water and 2tsp of baking soda.


8.Moldy shower curtains: Throw a mildew/mold stained shower curtain into the washing machine with a couple of bath towels. Add 1 cup of baking soda to the detergent and add 1 cup of vinegar to rinse cycle.


9.Paving stones: Keep the weeds from growing in between paving stones by sprinkling baking soda onto the paving stones and sweep it into the cracks.


10.Clean your grill: scour yucky grill racks with a paste made from 2tbsp baking soda and 2tbsp of water. Apply paste with a brush, leave for 15 minutes and then rinse.


11. Add it to the water when doing laundry, baking soda stabilizes the pH level, enhancing the detergent’s effectiveness.


12. Baking soda may also be added to swimming pool water to balance the pH level and keep the water clear.




13. A pinch added to tomato sauce while cooking, or coffee while brewing, will reduce acidity.


14. A small amount added to the soaking water of beans will make the softening and cooking process faster and reduces the after effects for the people eating them! ( NO GAS) :)


15. Baking soda’s fine gritty texture makes it an excellent, gentle abrasive cleaner. It is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, fragrance-free, and safe for nearly all surfaces, making it perfect for household use. Just mix it with a little water or vinegar. (careful with the vinegar, we all remember our volcano science projects)


16. And lastly, you can sprinkle baking soda around the exterior entrances and foundation of your house, it may stop ants and other insects from crawling in, as it is irritating to their "exoskeletons" and they avoid it.

A little off Topic... Skype.com

So my baby girl went off to Atlanta yesterday for a week to visit her grandparents... Needless to say I AM DEPRESSED, I MISS HER SOOO MUCH! I hold back tears constantly, trying to keep it together for my 9-month... Anywho, I heard about skype on a tv show (it was drop dead diva, just in case your wondering) so I created an account yesterday, and tested my camera... All i can say is that skype is AMAZING! My hubby as to create an account and then we can chat, and i can see my baby's face... I CANT WAIT! But its amazing what technology can do now in days... and you dont get a lot of that 2-3 second delay either... but that actually depends mostly on the camera you have. So I am counting the seconds until I can video chat with her. SO EXCITED!

Try it out for yourself... No I am not a paid spokegirl... LOL!

http://www.skype.com/

For Starters - All Natural Cleaner

I will get around to posting all that I do to be green, but for now, I want to share a wonderful cleaner that my friend Marisol turned me onto... Its great, all you oparh followers, I am sure you know about it. You can find it on the oparh website. But here I will copy and post the receipe, we just made it the other day and I love it. I made it originally without the oils because I didnt have any, and it did smell like a whole lot of vinegar but it still worked great, and the vinegar scent was gone after about 10-15 min... Of course the oils make it smell much better. Hope you make it and enjoy it as much as I am... happy cleaning! (like there's such a thing)

Gorgeously Green All-Purpose Spray



•32-ounce plastic spray bottle


•2 cups water


•1/2 cup distilled white vinegar


•1 teaspoon pure castile soap (peppermint is a favorite)


•3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide


•20 drops tea tree oil


•20 drops of lavender or lemongrass essential oil


Simply fill a large 32-ounce plastic spray bottle with the water. Add the vinegar, castile soap, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil and lavender or lemongrass essential oil. Lavender is lovely for the bathroom spray and lemongrass for the kitchen, so make two separate bottles at the same time. In the hot summer months, add about 10 drops of citronella essential oil to the spray, as it is an excellent insect repellent.


This spray is suitable for acrylic, ceramic tile, wood, marble and granite.

Hello Fellow handy people... or not so handy!

I am so excited to start a blog finally! I have always been a fan of blogs and always wanted to start one to share all the stuff I spend hours googling and then attempting. I want to introduce myself... My name is Jacqueline... i graduated with a fashion degree from the Art Institute in 2005. I have my own clothing line called Auburn LA. I have always been that girl that saw something and thought to myself I can do that... I can make that jacket for a fraction of the price.. I can make that bench... and I sure try to.

I have two lovely little angels, Maya almost 3 and Leyla almost 1. They are the light in my life and don't know what I would do without them... They inspire me everyday... I am married to my husband for 4yrs now.

We moved into the perfect fixer upper house in 2009 and I have been trying to make it home ever since... one project at a time. I am by far the handiest one in my house... My hubby doesn't have a handy bone in his body, so all the DIY projects are left entirely up to me. And most of the time he lets me know how crazy he thinks I am... but i push forward... and sometimes I make him eat his words!!!

I have some crazy of the wall will never work in a million years, ideas and then I have the why the hell didn't I think of this sooner, ideas... I will share as many as i can of the latter. You don't really want to know about the ones that don't work, do you?

I am also trying to live as green as possible, by using all natural, chemical free and organic products, so I will also share all that I find out about that... Just in case you are interested. I have so much that I already do, that maybe ill post a rundown of that stuff, to get it started. Well, i hope you enjoy my blog and please ask me anything... I love a challenge and I love helping others.

Here is the link to my clothing line...
http://www.auburnla.etsy.com/