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4 Great Ways to Enjoy the Magical Power of Aloe Vera

September 30, 2014 2

aloe

by Briana

I have been using aloe vera very for many years now. I was first introduced to this amazing plant by my grandmother who was the queen of all things natural – she knew all of remedies that always seem to work. Now most of us know that aloe vera can sooth the painful sunburns that we all dread, but that isn’t the only thing our friend Mr. Aloe can do! Here are some other great ways to make use of it – read on to check them out.

1. For Your Beautiful Face
Back in my teenage years I didn’t have the best of skin. I had a lot of breakouts and my skin was very oily. My grandmother came to my rescue! She told me to use aloe vera as a facial mask, so one night I gave it a try. I took a chunk of aloe from the plant and I rubbed it all over my face, yes it is a bit slimy but I experienced amazing results! It also helps with your happy lines (aka wrinkles).

2. Drink It
If you’re having some tummy problems, aloe vera can help. Aloe helps with your digestion and gets rid of those unwanted toxins. Use with caution because aloe vera is a super laxative – however, when used in moderation your tummy will be feeling better in no time.

3. For Your Scalp
Aloe has been known to treat dandruff and help sooth an itchy scalp. Your everyday dandruff products can be very strong in smell and many of them are loaded with harmful chemical and toxins. I remember growing up my dad used Selsun Blue, I could smell it from across the hall! Instead, grab some aloe to relieve your scalp naturally.

4. For Minor Cuts
Aloe vera can also help heal minor wounds such as a cut or a graze, although it is not recommended for deeper more serious cuts. If you fall off your bike or if your child has a small scrap on her knee, avoid the squinting and the ouch! And rub on some aloe vera.

Do you have other ways that you use aloe vera? We would love to hear!

Have a Lovely Weekend + A Few Green Things

September 26, 2014 0

pumpkins

Hello, Friends! How are you doing? How was your week? Busy? Laid back? Anything fun and exciting to report? Any fun plans for the upcoming weekend?

I am ready for it to cool off just a little bit here in Florida, just enough so we can start eating dinner outside on the patio! There is something about eating outside that just makes any meal taste better. Do you agree? It is one of my favorite things about fall time in Florida. In fact, I should probably spend a little time cleaning our patio – it could use a good scrub down!

While I get to cleaning the patio, here are a few green things to take you into the weekend:

– I will have to keep an eye out for this caterpillar! He is super cute but super poisonous!
– These top 45 hikes in the west are making me crave the west coast!- THIS is why I must own chickens in my lifetime.
– These activists are biking across the U.S. and only eating out of dumpsters.
– Eat healthier and donate to those in need at the same time.

I hope you have a lovely, cozy weekend! I will see you back here on Monday, I miss you already!

xo,
Sweet Greens

4 Simple Tips for Saving the Bees With Your Family

September 23, 2014 1

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by Beth

Bees are essential in the production of so many of our foods which depend on bees for pollination. As bee population declines, prices of many foods are going to rise and their availability is going to drop, which makes a green lifestyle more difficult for all of us!

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”

― Albert Einstein

How can you help the bees? If everyone were able to take these small steps it could make a big difference to the struggling bee population:

1. Plant a garden that’s bee hospitable.
•  Plant a variety of flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall. Some types of bees are more active at different times of year, so make sure your garden always has something to offer!
• Flowers with single petal blossoms are more accessible to bees than flowers with double petals so focus on the singles.
• Blue, purple, and yellow flowers are most appealing to bees.
• Plant wildflowers, especially ones that are native to your area. This will help support the bees in your area that evolved to visit those species of flower.
• Be more weed-friendly.   Flowering weeds are native flowers too! Dandelions especially are a great early food source for bees. If you let a corner of your yard freely grow dandelions or clover you’ll have a lot of happy bees.
• Use organic fertilizer and steer clear of chemical pesticides. The last thing you want to do is poison your bees, of course.

2. Make a nest habitat.
A neat and pristine yard leaves no place for bees to make a happy nest. If you leave a brush pile near your bee garden, bees will have a place to nest near a convenient food source. There are also good tutorials available online for making bee posts, bee hotels and other homes for solitary bees. How fun would that be for the family?

3. Check out your local farmer’s market.
Local made honey is almost always of a better quality than store bought honey. Some store bought honey is mostly corn syrup. And if you’ve moved to a new area, eating local honey can help prevent you from developing new pollen allergies. By buying local you not only get a better product, you support the bee population in your area. It’s good for everyone!

4. If you’re feeling adventurous…
Try beekeeping yourself! Obviously this isn’t going to be for everyone, or even most people. However, small scale beekeeping can support your local bee population, give you a new source of income, and be a very unique hobby.

Though you might be a little shy of bees at first, it helps to realize how beneficial bees are to humans, animals, and the environment, and they are not typically aggressive. As kids, I’m sure we got stung because we were barefoot and didn’t watch where we were going, and most adults get stung because they panic and swat.

Bee Tip: Use your breath to blow a bee away instead of swatting to avoid hurting it.

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Bees just want to live their lives, and as they do, they help us grow our crops. Do your part to help the bees!

 

Have a Lovely Weekend + A Few Green Things

September 19, 2014 0

fall

Hello, Friends! How was your week? I hope it was a nice one. Are you experiencing fall weather or maybe even winter weather where you live? It’s amazing how quickly the weather changes, and all of sudden we are in fall. Even here in Florida, it has been a little cooler than usual. It will only last a couple of days though, so I better enjoy it! As the mister and I were sitting on the patio last night, he pointed at my legs and laughed that I had goosebumps!

The cooler weather has me thinking of Halloween which just makes me more excited. Am I the only one? I have found myself pinning all kinds of Halloween ideas lately! And I have already started to think of costume, food, and decor ideas too. I jokingly asked the mister if it was too early to break out the decorations – he just gave me the look. I guest October 1st is early enough for him. Ha! While I pin a few million more ideas, here are a few green things to take you into the weekend:

– This adorable piggy knows how to cool off in style.
– Have you ever tried Aloe Vera Water? I want to try it.
– You can still plant a fall garden, this will get you started.
– I am happy to hear Whole Foods is offering more affordable produce and core items.
– What if everyone swapped their cars for bikes! Yes.

I hope you have an amazing fall weekend, I will see you back here on Monday!

xo,
Sweet Greens

Rock Your Child’s Lunch Box with These Great Green Options!

September 18, 2014 0

Rock-the-Lunch-Box

Back to school time means so many things for all of us – new school schedules, jugging family/work, after school activities, homework; the list goes on and on!  With so many things on our daily agenda, you need a back-to-school lunch menu to get you through the week!

Ebens Lunchbox

When Eben was younger, we loved the Laptop Lunches bento box, we had an extensive menu that we would pack for him! Now, that Eben is in middle school – it means that lunchtime is actually social time, and lunch is really an after thought – we really had to get creative to ensure he was eating. So instead of packing him a huge lunch in a bento box that he won’t have the time to really sit down and enjoy, we have resorted to sending him with several mini-lunch options that he can nibble on throughout the day.

We participated in Rock the Lunchbox this year and received a bunch of great coupons and healthy lunch ideas, so we decided to take the coupons and start to build a new lunch menu for Eben. We have been packing an assortment of organic meats, cheeses, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds too – all in the Kids Conserve nesting tins! We also tried out the new Applegate Half Time Lunches, these are perfect for those mornings when something pops up and I start to run out of time! We already love Honest Kids pouches and utilize them when we are short on time too!

Lunch

For fun, I asked Eben to draw me a picture of his dream lunch – and I about died of laughter! I love the blue “natural Jello” – is that an oxymoron or what? And hi drawing a pickle is spot on! Too funny!

To learn more about Rock the Lunchbox, visit Rock the Lunch Box and grab your coupons and get more healthy lunch ideas to rock your child’s lunch box too! So, I’m wondering – what’s in your child’s lunchbox?

 

Full Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield – however, I would have told you about these products anyway, since we already use them!

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