http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9cSPearFDU

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfq000AF1i8

Squidbalm: bar soap, oil cleanser, shampoo bar, lotion tin, conditioner bar

Wow. Just wow.

I have been trying to sit down and write a review for some Squidbalm products for over a week now. I’ve been so excited and I’ve wanted to share these great products, but as usual, life gets in the way. Squidbalm was created by a mom in need. That’s how most great products originate, when you can’t find it, you make it! Her daughter needed a moisturizer that would relieve her eczema, while remaining free of chemicals and allergens. Having no luck, mom created a lotion bar and shortly after, her other products followed.

The ladies over at Squidbalm contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I was interested in trying their lotion bar. As I know I’ve said before, I’m having a difficult time finding items, lotion in particular, that is gluten and lavender free and does not contain all those other yucky additives. And yeah, meets my budget. So, I said sure, why not. I can try it and give a review. I’m pretty picky about lotion, the consistency has to be perfect, not too thin and not too thick, it has to moisturize and last a while and not dry my hands out. I wasn’t sure how a lotion bar would work out for me, but I figured I had nothing to lose.

And then the package arrived. Just opening it made me smile. The scent was WONDERFUL, but I’ll get to that in a minute. I couldn’t wait to try this stuff. My package contained a lotion bar, cleanser, shampoo bar, conditioner bar and a bar of soap. All beautifully wrapped in tissue paper. All I was expecting was a lotion bar! I pretty much dislike bar soap and how it leaves my skin feeling too dry, and the only shampoo bar I ever tried, I hated. But, I was determined to at least try these items.

I have never encountered lotion in bar form. Interesting. Smells great and I love it. I does feel a little thick at first, but quickly soaks in and leaves my hands feeling great. Love this stuff! It’s in a cute little tin that I can easily pop into my purse and take with me on the go. Now that it’s gotten so hot out, I’m a little afraid to take it out, I’m not sure how it’ll handle the heat, but I will definitely buy more. The cute little tin sits nicely on my desk.

The shampoo and conditioner bars, I have mixed feelings on. Pro- they did not dry out my hair and make it feel like straw like the previous stuff I used. Con- I felt the need to wash my hair just about each day. I typically wash my hair every other day or two, I just don’t have time (or desire) to do it daily. But, I did love how my soft and smooth my hair looked, even after the first use. So, I have mixed feelings. I will keep using it, but I’m not sure I’ll give up my regular shampoo. What I have is the original formula, maybe I need to try the light formula. Oh, and let me add that this stuff lathers nicely, so different than the other stuff I tried. I know bubbly lather isn’t important, but it does help me to know that I’ve worked it all through my hair.

The soap bar is GREAT. It didn’t leave my skin feeling dry, it smells great. I would rank this as one of the top bar soaps I’ve ever tried. This may end up being my replacement for my Burt’s Bees bodywash, I think they’ve changed their forumla. As for the cleanser, I’ve not tried it yet. I didn’t want to test it in the midst of a breakout since I wouldn’t be able to judge my reaction to it. I will be doing that soon. Judging by the other items, I’m sure I’ll love it!

Back to the scents. Oh wow. Before I tested anything I told my husband I’d be buying more bars in the Coconut Peach scent just to set around my house. It smells so good, I spent a great deal of time shoving the shampoo bar under the nose of anyone that entered the room to share the wonderful scent. It’s that good! My soap bar is Honey Zen Avocado and it smells great too, but I can not get enough of that Coconut Peach!

Pop on over to Squidbalm and buy this stuff. Get the Coconut Peach scent, you won’t regret it.

What are GMOs? GMOs are genetically modified organisms. It’s like taking part of one thing and combining it with another item. Kind of like forced crossbreading. Are GMOs safe for you? Not at all. I’m of the mind that if it occurs naturally, it’s worth taking a look at, but if it was created, there are most likely consequences. Science has a place, don’t get me wrong, but not when it comes to food.

“According to the USDA, in 2009, 93% of soy, 93% of cotton, and 86% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMO. It is estimated that over 90% of canola grown is GMO, and there are also commercially produced GM varieties of sugar beets, squash and Hawaiian Papaya. As a result, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery store.” (nongmoproject.org)

Beginning this month, you will see “Non-GMO Project Verified” labels hitting store shelves. Support those that do not use GMO ingredients by purchasing their products. Let it be known that you do not support GMO! Get the Facebook App and helpt to educate others. GMO has got to go!

Lavender is great for calming. It’s an anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, bactericide. It’s great for muscle aches and pains, acne, sunburns, insect bites. It’s one of few oils that is sometimes directed to use without dilution. But that is a big mistake.

In the past I used lavender for many things, it was great for relieving my headaches and just in general calming the house down. About a year and a half ago, I had a headache that would not go away. Lavender was touching it, but not enough. So, I thought, hey, lavender is gentle, I’ll just not dilute it and surely that will help. It did. But it did more harm than good.

I have now sensitized myself to lavender. I absolutely can not use lavender (also known as lavendin or lavandula) in any form with out a horrible rash. Until you have to search it out, you have no idea just how many products contain lavender. Not only that, but companies that simply list “essential oils” or “fragrance” on ingredient lists, can not be trusted.

I thought eliminating gluten was hard, eliminating lavender and gluten together is a big challenge. Most “natural” and “organic” bath and beauty products contain lavender. Since it’s not always disclosed, I’m very limited on the items that I can use now. I have not attempted using lavender in a diffuser and I often wonder if I will be able to tolerate that. But for now, I have to avoid at all costs.

Any use of essential oils should be done with extreme caution. Lavender is not the only oil one can become sensitive to, any oil that you use for extended periods of time, without diluting, can harm you. Extreme caution should be taken when using oils of any type. While they are natural and very useful, they are dangerous as well.

Ecovative Design uses mushroom fibers grown on waste like cotton seed, wood fiber and buckwheat hulls to create EcoCradle packaging and Greensulate insulation. Their current process uses only one-tenth of the energy needed to create foam packaging. That in itself is quite cool, but thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, they are working on a slightly different process that will cut their energy needs down to one-fortieth of that of foam. That’s 2.5 percent!

The current process uses steam heat and requires a clean room environment. The new process would use a mixture of cinnamon bark, thyme, oregano and lemongrass oils and could be done in an open air environment.

I love hearing about stuff like this and I can’t wait until it reaches a point where we consumers can go out and purchase these types of packing materials for everyday use. In the meantime, if you run a business that ships items that require padding, contact EcovativeDesign and see what they can do for you!

I entered the store in Bowie, Maryland, not expecting much. I had only ever visited one other MOM’s store and the g-free selection was there, but I remember it being small. This was before I started my g-free diet. This new store was larger and very well stocked. I was so excited to see the ice cream cones I had been wanting and couldn’t find on my last Whole Foods trip, not only that, but they had sugar cones as well! I was so overwhelmed with the gluten free choices! My local shopping is so very limited in selection so visiting these others stores is always a joy. I found so many new things to try, bought way more than my two Chico bags could handle!

So anyway, we made our way over to the bottled water area and noticed the shelf empty with a monitor playing Annie Leonard’s Bottled Water video. Basically MOM’s has banned bottled water from their shelves. In place of pre-filled plastic bottles, you can purchase from their wide assortment of reuseable bottles. To help consumers transition, they offer one FREE gallon of reverse-osmosis water on each trip to the store. Either purchase a gallon container from them or bring in your own. Additional gallons are only 39¢ each. Also, at the customer service desk you can fill your personal water bottle or have a drink in a biodegradable cup, straw & lid, both free of charge. Read the full story on MOM’s website.

I do buy bottled water, but only when absolutely necessary. I prefer to use one of our many reuseable bottles, but there are often times when we just don’t pack enough water for an outing. It’s nice to know I can stop by MOM’s and refill my bottles with clean, filtered water.

I think I’ll be shopping MOM’s much more often now. I hear they’re thinking of putting store in very near to me and I hope that happens soon. The increased cost of eating gluten free is killing my budget when you factor in, not only the higher prices on the food, but the increased gas to get to the well-stocked stores.

I was surprised to read about Pocono Raceway’s new solar farm. The project began a year ago and was officially opened August 2nd. The solar farm consists of nearly 40,000 solar panels on 25 acres. It will produce between 3 and 4 million kilowatt hours per year. Enough to power the raceway and almost 1,000 homes in the community. The project cost was $16 million, but will save the track $700,000 yearly. This is the largest renewable energy project at any stadium worldwide, the largest in Pennsylvania and the 10th largest in the United Sates.

Kudos to Pocono for trying to “green” up a very un-green sport. Maybe other tracks will follow soon!

PVC is full of harmful chemicals. Things you don’t want near your little, or big, ones.  We go on and on about removing PVC and phthalates from our kids’ toys, but we need to also think about the things they use every day. As you head out to fulfill you list, consult this one. The Center for Health, Environment & Justice has composed a list of PVC-free school supplies.

Consult the list before you head to complete the big task. I know it’s hard to avoid plastic entirely, but if you take time you can at least eliminate some of it. Even small steps are steps in the right direction.

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I’m the type of person that burns easily. No matter what sunscreen I use, I burn. And it hurts. I’ve tried many remedies and soothers over time and only one has worked every single time I use it, Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother. It contains not only aloe, but linden flower as a key ingredient as well.

Aloe
We all know the healing properties of aloe. Aloe has been used for years to relieve pain of burns, insect bites, wounds and other ailments. My Grandma always had an aloe plant around and the minute you mentioned a bug bite, she was breaking off a piece and handing it to you. Like her, I have an aloe plant growing in the kitchen. I’m starting to think I might need to grow another one!

Linden Flower
What makes Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother really work is the Linden Flower.  Linden Flowers come from the Linden tree. The active ingredients in the flowers include flavonoids, which act as antioxidants, and mucilaginous constituents, which soothe and reduce inflammation.  This is exactly what your inflamed and irritated skin needs in order to heal.

With these two key ingredients, the skin heals quickly, the pain is bearable and the skin peeling is minimal. Next time you plan to hit the beach or amusement park, or spend the day outside, pick up some After Sun Soother before you head out. Use it after a cool shower and reapply throughout the night. By morning, you’ll feel like you weren’t burned at all.