Things I Love: April 2016

Hey, mama!

I hope April has treated you well. I can’t believe we’re 4 months into the year already. Time flies, I tell ya! 

I’m back today with another sneak peek into my life by sharing 5 things I’ve loved this past month with you, and as usual, I’d love to know what you’ve been up to this month too!

Favorite Person

This month is Ezrah’s birthday, and he’ll be two!

This guy is such a cutie pie. He’s so cuddly, and he’s learning to say the sweetest thing like, “Love you, mama,” and “Hey, bros!” He does not put up with his bros annoying him or taking things away from him, and he’s not afraid to let you know if he doesn’t like something.

I’m not sure what it is about having more kids, but the more we have, the less strict Dean and I seem to be with them. Maybe we’re getting old, maybe we’re learning to lighten up a bit, or maybe we’re just plain foolish and tired. All I know is that two is a fun age, but it will come with a good bit of training for our Ezrah-man… he needs it… stinker!

Favorite Natural Product

So, I’ve told you about my obsession with lip balm, but now, I think I may have a new obsession. 

This past month, Ellovi sent me some of their body butter to try out, and ya’ll… I’ve never used anything like it. I’ve made my own body butters in the past, but this one is different. It’s soft, smooth, and creamy, it smells devine, and I didn’t have to take the time to make it. 

This butter is totally natural and pure (they only use 6 all-natural ingredients), and it smells so good I wanna eat it. No joke.

I used the Chamomile Blossom Butter, and the smell took me back to my tanning bed days when I’d slather myself with beachy smelling oils than bake myself into bronze oblivion 20 minutes at a time. Ugh! This smells just like that yummy tanning oil, but without the chemicals (and the human oven).

I like to use it after I get out of the shower, and my skin feels soft all day long. This is for sure a keeper!

Favorite Book

Mornings are busy in my home. I think all moms of young children can relate. 

I wake up, make breakfast for four hungry kids and myself, we eat, then I head off to my office with my sacred cup of coffee for some personal quiet time before I start my work day. 

My quiet time consists of prayer and a Bible study of some kind to start my day off right.

Now, I’m not really good at this whole “studying the Bible” thing, but I hope to be one day. It’s my lifeline, and I know I need to prioritize this time. Sometimes, when life feels super busy and hectic, I feel good if I can read a Psalm or a chapter of Proverbs, but most times I enjoy studying a specific topic in scripture. I love me some Beth Moore studies, but they are a big commitment. I always learn a lot, but I really have to set aside time for them.

This month I’ve been working my way through Priscilla Shirer’s The Armor of God study. It’s like a Beth Moore study, but in order to make it more managable for my current lifestyle, I’ve been splitting the daily work into two days each so I don’t feel like I have SO MUCH to do each day. So far I’m really enjoying what I’m learning, and I’m learning a ton too! I highly recommend this one!

Favorite Herbal Product

I don’t claim to be an expert at nutrition or healthy eating. It seems that I’m constantly tweaking how we do things around here based on what I’m learning, but I am committed to growing and doing the best I can to keep my family healthy. 

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is about how important healthy digestion is. We all digest our foods to some degree, but some people’s guts work better than others. Unfortuantely, when you’re gut doesn’t work properly, ailments are sure to come your way.

This last month I whipped up a batch of Ginger Digestive Sprinkles to put on our morning oatmeal to help with digestion. Not only does soaking the oats help them digest better, but the herbs and other ingredients in these sprinkles help as well. Not only do they help with digestion, but they taste great too… so great that you won’t need to put as much sweetener in your oats!

(Psst… I’m in the process of working on something extra special for you all, and this recipe for Ginger Digestive Sprinkles is a part of that special secret. Don’t worry… I’ll tell you more about it soon, but it’s gonna be big and fun. I’m giddy… really. It’s my first big offering here on GUH, and I can’t wait! Don’t forget… if you’re on my Letters To Natural Mamas list, you’ll be the first to know about it.)

Favorite Moment

My hubbie surprised me with a trip to Asheville, NC (about 2 hours from us) to go to the Mother Earth News Fair. I’ve never been before, but always thought it would be fun to go. They have tons of natural businesses set up as vendors, lots of speakers and teachers giving presentations, tons of books and free samples of things, food, and more. There’s something for everyone at these fairs whether you’re into herbs, homesteading, farming, cooking, or something else. 

We spent most of our day trying to stay warm, checking out vendors, sampling food, and attending the kids activities. At the end of the day, my husband took the kiddos to the car for a nap and/or movie so I could go to Rosemary Gladstar’s presentation on Adaptogen and Tonic herbs. She’s one of my favorite herbalists, and I’ve never been able to hear her speak live. It was amazing! She’s so funny and so smart. I really learned a lot from that 1-hour class.

Sorry for the blurry photo. I so know better than to zoom on my phone. Ugh!

So that’s it for this past month! I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite things from April, and I’d love to hear about what you and your sweet family has been up to this past month in the comment section below!

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