Effective & Natural Bug Spray Recipe

 Rather than spraying my family with the chemicals found in commercial bug sprays, I use a  recipe consisting of three natural ingredients that was featured on the Dr.Oz show.

The Dr. Oz segment with this bug spray recipe demonstrated its effectiveness by setting up a tank filled with hundreds of mosquitoes.  The guest placed his arm in without any protection and the mosquitoes flocked to feast.  They then created and applied this mixture to the same arm and placed it back in the tank.  Not one mosquito feasted. After testing it out on my family, I have found our results to be the same.  Not only does this have a more pleasant smell, it is every bit as effective as a commercial spray that can be harmful and harsh on the skin (especially for toddlers and babies).

Mangos - Nutritional Value & How to Purchase/Cut/Store

Lets talk about Mangos.

• nutritional value
• how to buy a good mango
• how to store mango
• how to cut and serve fresh mango to your family

Being 'Held' Through Loss

Yesterday I was doing my usual browsing through some of my favorite blogs.  One particular blog I visit is called Joy's Hope.  I have always enjoyed getting to experience this mom's humorous heart through her blogging.

Somehow, in all my followings, I had never taken the time to read about the author.  Yesterday I clicked on the link 'Joy's Story'.  For the next few minutes I sat in suspense as Julie, the blog's author, explained who Joy was.  By the middle of the story I was in tears. (I'm sure partially due to the fact that I'm currently 23 weeks pregnant, hormonally unstable and could place myself in her shoes should I have had the same experience.)  By the end of the story, I had regained composure through my admiration of Julie's explanation of the Glory of the Lord and how little Joy had effected so many people. 

Experiencing her story has caused lingering thoughts about how many people endure similar circumstances.  I don't have all the answers but I think Natalie Grant says it best in her song 'Held'.  "The promise was that when everything fell, we would be held." 

Stringing Fingers

Today I went browsing at JoAnn's Fabric Store which can be a dangerous situation for me.  I never know what I'll will walk out of that place with. Luckily this trip provided a cheap project that didn't break the bank.






I found these yummy little wooden beads and my mind went wild trying to find a way to use them so I could justify the purchase.  I kept coming up with ideas for quirky-fun summer jewelry but Naomi, my 19 month old, had another plan for them.  After tearing them from her grasping little hands for the umpteenth time, I decided a compromise would benefit us both.  I came up with a little learning game to help her learn colors and fine tune motor skills.  She LOVES it!  When the newness of the game gets old and she moves on to the next adventure...I get my jewelry.  Its a win-win!

All oils are not equal. (Part I - Coconut Oil)

You’ll be amazed at how the right oil, when used properly in food preparation, can play a part in helping your body do things such as maintain proper digestion, support a healthy metabolism and thyroid function, relieve kidney problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, bone strength, increase immunity, and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.


My two favorite oils to stock in my cabinets are Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. Both have unique food prep applications and a long list of health benefits. Oils that I try to avoid include animal lards and common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola due to their content of polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats and chemical compositions.


For Part I of this series I want to share with you what has quickly become my favorite oil to use in the kitchen, Coconut Oil. I have found it to be non-greasy and to my surprise, it didn’t leave a strong flavor in my foods. It has been very light in taste and I love that my jar lasts a long time because so little is needed.