A few months later, when I visited my aunt again, I used the lotion bar a few more times.  Again, I received quick results.  I decided that I needed to contact Theresa at Honey Thyme Herb Farm to get some of these products to try for myself.

These are the products I tried and a little about them:

Lavender & Rosemary Bath Salts – Some of the ingredients include honey, powdered milk, lavender and rosemary flowers, and essential oils.  The bath salts smell wonderful.  The fragrance is very soothing.  After using the salts, my skin felt smooth and moisturized.

Lip Balm – The lip balm is sweetened with Stevia.  This is a sweet herb that does not raise blood sugar or have calories.  I tried the coconut lip balm, but it is available in different flavors.  I like that the lip balm leaves my lips feeling moisturized, but not waxy.  It smells and tastes good too.

Healing Salve -  I used the healing salve on my eczema and cracked hands.  Calendula, Lavender, Plantain, Chickweed, and Comfry are infused with vegetables oils and then strained.  The oils are then thickened with beeswax, bee propolis is added and it’s ready to use on cuts, scrapes, insect bites and other minor mishaps.

Lotion Bar – This is my favorite product that Theresa makes.  As I stated earlier, this was the product that my aunt had me try.  I was excited to receive the lotion bar and begin using it on my dry skin.  The lotion bar looks like a bar of soap.  It contains Mowrah butter and Jojoba oil.   You just rub it on your skin to begin enjoying the natural products working to heal your skin.

All of Theresa’s products are made right here in my home state of North Carolina. 

My philosophy is to keep my recipes pure and simple using organically grown herbs mostly from my garden and honey, beeswax and propolis from my bee hives. My honey is 100% pure and unfiltered and my body products are made with pure vegetable oils, specifically chosen to pamper and heal the skin.  Most of my products are scented with pure essential oils which are 100% plant based. For some products I give a fragrance oil option. These oils are synthetic but smell great. I never use artificial preservatives substituting instead Vitamin E and bee propolis. I am fond of saying that if I can’t pronounce an ingredient, it won’t go into my products and I hope you enjoy using them as much as I do.

Be sure to check back next week.  I am so pleased with Theresa’s products that I have asked her to sponsor a giveaway for our readers!!!! 

There are more products to choose from at Honey Thyme Herb Farm.  Which product would you like to try?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Mike Kinnaird presents Book Review ~ Healthy at 100 by John Robbins posted at Passion for Health. Mike gives us a book review of John Robbin’s book Healthy at 100.  The book takes a look at healthy cultures to find out what they can teach us.

Karen at Thrifty Mommy gives us the Top 10 Thrifty Tips for Dealing with Eczema.  Many of us have dealt with eczema, whether it be with ourselves or our children.  Karen gives some tips to manage the disease.

Karen Shanley presents The Faery Woods posted at Author, Mom, Dog Nut.  Karen tells about the special times she and her daughter Cait would spend hiking into “The Faery Woods”.

Kevin presents Advantages Of Sports And Teens posted at More4kids Parenting & Family.  This article tells us about the many advantages of getting your teen involved in a sport.  I also saw some craft ideas on this site that I’m going to look into for my preschool class!

Dr. Hal presents North Star Mental Fitness Blog: Team Commitment Creates Success posted at North Star Mental Fitness Blog.  Dr. Hal shares with us that people can overcome obstacles and accomplish many great things when they work together as a team.

Jacqueline Lloyd presents Why Exercising for Kids is So Important posted at Hot Exercise. Jacqueline discusses why it is so important for children to exercise.  She gives us some ideas for making exercise fun and interesting.

Laura Collins presents Gisele Bundchen’s Mother’s School of ED Prevention posted at Are you “Eating With Your Anorexic?”.

Shamelle presents Relax and Unwind-Without Spending Any Money! posted at Enhance Life.  Shamelle tells us a thrifty way to relax.

Craig Harper presents Exercise Addiction – Anorexia Athletica posted at Renovate your life with Craig.   Motivational speaker Craig Harper tells his story of exercise addiction and gives us the warning signs to watch out for.

Alex Shalman presents Liquid motivation posted at Alex Shalman . com – Practical Personal Development.   Alex reminds us how important it is to drink water and he gives us some of the many health benefits of drinking more.

Next month’s Healthy & Fit Carnival will be hosted by Kate at Babylune.  All submissions must be on the topic of a healthy & fit family and 10 submissions will be chosen to appear in the carnival.  Only one article per blog is accepted.  You are encouraged to read articles from the former blog carnivals to get an idea of an acceptable submission.  Click here to submit an article.  Good luck! 

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1.  Wash all of your laundry (including sheets, blankets, towels) in a fragrance & dye free laundry detergent and fabric softener.  Fortunately, there are many options out there today.  Some of my favorites are Wisk free, Tide free, and Downy free. 

2.  Don’t take hot showers.  I admit, this is one I can’t do.  I LOVE my hot showers.  Hot showers aggravate eczema and dry your skin out.

3.  Don’t use harsh soaps.  Dove works really well.  Most other soaps and cleansers just dry out your skin.

4.  Gently pat your skin dry with a soft towel (washed in fragrance free soap).  Don’t rub.

5.  Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  One of the best ways to moisturize your skin is right after a shower when your pores are open.  Moisturizing should be done within 2-3 minutes after showering.

6.  Avoid tight-fitting or itchy clothing.  Try to wear a breathable fabric such as cotton.

7.  Avoid triggers.  These will be different for everyone.  As you live with eczema, you soon figure out what aggravates you.  Some triggers to watch out for are animal hair, dust, mold, and chemicals.  Soaps and lotions with fragrance can also aggravate eczema.

8.  Avoid sweaty activities.  Sweating can make your skin itch and eczema flare up.  I remember those red, blistery flare ups from P.E. class.   

9. Use a humidifier during dry or cold weather.  Heating our homes during the winter significantly dries out the air and it aggravates eczema.  (Tip:  It also dries out our sinus passages and makes us more succeptible to viruses.)

10.  Avoid stress.  Stress causes eczema to flare up. 

Some other tips:

Treat your home for pet dander.  Vacuum frequently or replace carpet with hardwood or alternative flooring. 

One of my favorite moisturizers is A&D Ointment.  You can buy it next to the diaper rash ointment.  The Wal-Mart brand works fine. 

Let us know if you have any tips for dealing with eczema.

Pictures from breakspearmedical.com and zenmed.com.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

This recipe was taken from Now & Zen Bathworks.  They also have facial recipes for sensitive or oily skin.  Be sure and check out their site for these recipes, as well as their products.

Dry Skin Recipe

1 cup oatmeal, not instant
1/4 cup of banana or avocado, smashed
1 capsule Vitamin E
1 tsp honey

Grind the oatmeal, banana or avocado, and honey in the blender.  Pierce the Vitamin E capsule and squeeze into the oatmeal mixture.  Blend for 5 minutes.  If mixture is too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is paste like.  Apply facial mixture to skin and let dry.  Rinse.  Unused mixture can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for two days.

Thanks for the tip Darlene.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Crayon marks – Clean crayon marks off your floors and walls with baking soda and water.

Clean coffee mugs – Mix 3 tsps of baking soda with hot water to clean stains from coffee mugs.

Laundry – Add some to your wash to help clean your clothes.  You can cut the amount of chlorine bleach used in your wash by half when you add 1/4 cup to front loading washers and 1/2 a cup to top loading machines.

Sinks & Counters – Sprinkle some on your kitchen counter or sink.  Perfect to use as a gentle scouring powder.  Helps to remove kool-aid stains from counters.  You can also add some salt and make a baking soda and salt paste.

Pots & pans – Shake some on your pots and pans, add dish detergent and hot water, and let them soak.

Freshen your carpet – Sprinkle some baking soda on your carpet before you go to bed.  Vacuum the carpet when you get up in the morning.

General cleaner – For a general all-purpose cleaner, dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of water.

Soap Scum Remover – Mix baking soda and salt to make a paste that will remove soap scum.  No harsh fumes!

Freshen Stuffed Animals – Give stuffed animals a dry bath in baking soda powder and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.  Brush off excess.  This method is even safe for baby!

Clean Baby Equipment – Sprinkle some baking soda on your wet cleaning rag.  Use it to wipe down the crib, changing table, toys, etc.  Rinse and allow to dry.

Some sources and sites for more baking soda information:  How-To Info, Arm & Hammer, The New Homemaker, Frugal Living.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy