Come Clean in Congress

 Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) has introduced the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act (H.R. 5205)  in the 114th Congress. The Act requires full disclosure and product labeling of household and institutional cleaning products.

Currently, cleaning product companies are not required to disclose ingredients in the products they sell in the U.S. Unlike cosmetics and food where you can pick up a product, read the label and find out the ingredients, the public has very little information about what they are being exposed to in products they use to clean their home.

​We have a right to know what chemicals we are being exposed to in order to avoid ingredients that may cause allergic reactions or more serious harm. That’s why Congress must pass the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act. Knowledge is power and without this information it’s nearly impossible to avoid harmful ingredients. 

​I stopped using products with the ambiguous ingredient listing of "Fragrance" and "Perfume" years ago when I began to have horrible allergic reactions to bath and beauty products. The only common ingredient I found in the things that caused my reactions were those listings. When I did research and learned that these often meant artificially created chemicals that imitated natural scents, I kept an eye on everything I used and began to weed out possible allergens. This caused a switch not only to natural shampoos, soaps, and other body care products but also a switch away from certain dish soaps, laundry detergents, bathroom and window cleaners, and more. Pretty much the only thing I kept was the bleach which I use sparingly.
When I look at arguments against this act, I am sadly not surprised if annoyed by the number of people who don't understand or refuse to believe the facts that cleaning products used in the home are just as likely to affect the body and health of the inhabitants as their hygiene products or foods. These products are breathed in, rubbed against, and literally lived in like an atmosphere. They enter your skin, lungs, blood stream, etc just as if you had eaten or drank them. 

Take Action

Take Action by asking your state representative to support this Right to Know Act. There is a handy form over at Women's Voices for the Earth's site that makes it easy for you.
​You can also show your stance by purchasing products that have full disclosure already of their ingredients.

Seventh Generation is just one of the many companies that is backing the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act. To encourage getting the word out, they are offering a coupon book to the members of their Generation Good social media group for sharing about this act. See more at Generation Good.

​Share the information about this Act on social media and ask others to join in on taking action with #ComeClean. 

The Healing Properties of Amber for Mommies & Babies

​Amber teething necklaces are very common today and found at most baby boutiques, supermarket baby sections, and, of course, online.
My son wears one, especially when we're going out and our normal routine is thrown off - meaning I don't necessarily have easy access to our go-to teething remedies like a cold wet washcloth.
I wear one too, though mine is a little more elaborate with different shaped beads and chips and the inclusion of jet. Lil Pumpkin loves it when I wear this necklace because he can fiddle the beads and I made it sturdy enough that, though I encourage him not to pull on it for my own comfort, I know it won't break easily with a little tugging.
I have been asked about our necklaces, if we wear them simply to match or if they have meaning. Women who have heard about amber teething necklaces have asked me if it works at all and how.
​I started using Lil Pumpkin's amber teething necklace on him almost immediately after it was gifted to us by our friend who's name is, ironically, Amber (Thanks again hun!). I was a little confused as to how it worked at first. The necklace was comfortable on Lil Pumpkin but not long enough for him to gum on it, which is what I thought he was supposed to do. My friend Valesa explained the proper use of the necklace to me - that it is only meant to be worn against the skin and works through that body contact. She'd used amber necklaces with her kids with positive results.
I am careful not to let Lil Pumpkin sleep with his necklace on, just in case. He doesn't seem to notice that it is on when he does wear it and I have noticed a lift in his attitude at times when he does wear it on his grumpy, teething days.

​What is Amber and Why Does it Work?

Amber isn't actually a stone, its a petrified resin
Note that there are many shops that sell Amber Resin - this is not necessarily the healing amber stone and can just be artificial resin colored to look like amber.
The awesome properties of amber were first found by the Ancient Greeks - or, at least, first recorded by them. Ancient astronaut theorists and new age spiritualists insist it has been used much longer than then and I'm in no position to say they are right or wrong.
One of the most intriguing properties of amber is whats called The Turboelectric Effect. The idea is that amber is electrically charged when rubbed with wool or silk or statically charged when in contact with the human body (running water discharges it).
This turboelectric effect is a great way to test if the amber you have is real amber or if it is a false amber like dyed resin or Copal. You can read more about this electrical effect of amber over at Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy.
Another test for amber is that it will float in salted water. Sellers might not let you do this in the store but if you do it at home and you have a sinker, take it back and get your money to buy a real one.

Healing Properties of Amber

​Early physicians prescribed amber for headaches, heart problems, arthritis and a variety of other ailments.
Amber's anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are recognized by allopathic medicine as a natural analgesic.
When worn, the oils from the amber are released by the body's heat and absorbed into the skin where the body benefits from its pain-releiving properties and other benefits.
Amber, especially in conjunction with copper, has often been used to remedy arthritis pain.
Some people say any true amber will work while others say only Baltic Amber with its succinic acid will do. All types can be found online in teething necklaces, jewelry, arthritis bracelets, and so on.
Baltic amber is believed to help relieve eczema, speed up wound healing and stave off ear and throat inflammation, amongst other ailments.
I have also read that the amber necklaces are only a placebo. I'm not sure how that can be the case since placebo effect is when the person is given something, told it is medicine, and it works. My 7 month old isn't able to understand the concepts of medicine or how it works and is therefore not someone a placebo would work on.

Metaphysical Associations

• ​Goddesses, especially those of beauty, healing, and fertility/sexuality like Freyja and Aphrodite. 
• Angel Association: Uriel
• Chakra: Sacral and Solar Plexus (though I have heard it is linked to the Base chakra too and the dark, medium, and light colors can be used on all three for lower level healing)
• Zodiac: Fire signs, especially Leo
• Amber is called "solid sunlight."

This is a stone of good luck, beauty, manifestation, and energy, especially when that energy has a revitalizing or trasformational force. Amber radiates a positive energy but is one of the more delicate stones. Because it is a stone that draws out disease, pain, and bad vibes it does need to be cleansed - this is not a self cleanser.
Amber is a relatively soft stone so I would stick with airy cleansing techniques like smudging or cleansing by placing on a larger crystal or crystal grid.
​Stones that pair well energetically with Amber:
Jet (another plant material that has petrified, also a healer), clear quartz (amplifies all stones it is used with), carnelian (for a major energy boost), citrine (for self-esteem and manifestation, and sunstone (for SAD and solar plexus healing)

How to Use Amber With Your Little Terrestrials

Teething Jewelry - can be worn against the skin to ease pain and give an energy boost when they have the grumps or feel sickly. Babies can wear the necklace so long as its not uncomfortable or too long for them to chew or choke on. Older toddlers or children can wear bracelets or even anklets of the beads as well.
*Buy necklaces that are knotted (the cord is knotted between each and every bead) for safety, that are from a reliable business (able to check ot make sure it is real amber), the beads are smooth (jagged or pointed beads would be uncomfortable against the baby's skin), and the clasp is a pop clasp (also for safety).

Aid SAD (seasonal affective disorder) - pair these solid sunshine stones with a happy light or some real sunshine when possible and, perhaps a vitamin D supplement

At bedtime - while amber does has some wake up energy, it is also good for keeping away bad dreams, the boogeyman, and general fear and anxiety. Add to a dream pillow, doll, or near your Himilayan salt lamp.

Natural Mosquito Repellant

With the scare of Zika virus and the yearly complaint of big bites, we are all turning to ways to rid ourselves of those pesky bloodsuckers - Mosquitoes. However, before you reach for the DEET or other chemical-laden big repellant, consider ways to prevent bites that aren't toxic to you.

Reduce Mosquitoes in Your Yard

A great way to keep mosquitoes from biting you is to make sure your yard and home are not inviting them to come around. 

• Cover your septic tank tube with a mesh or cover that won't allow mosquitoes to get in or out.
• Clear up any standing water that you can. 
• Reconsider a pond or any other area of standing water if you are landscaping.
• Don't kill spiders, frogs, bats, or other bug-eating critters in your yard. If you see them near or where you don't want them, simply move them or have a professional come collect them rather than killing them. 

Once you've prevented your yard from becoming a stomping ground for buggy vampires, now it is time to consider protecting yourself from those that might come uninvited or to cover yourself and your loved ones when camping, hiking, and other travels that might take you into infested lands.
Some of the best repellants are natural herbs and essential oils. These not only smell good and look nice but some contain natural chemicals that bugs hate!

​Essential Oils that Repel Mosquitoes

Citronela Clove Eucalyptus Geranium Lavender Lemon Lemongrass Tea Tree

Herbs that Repel Mosquitoes

​Artemisias such as Mugwort and Wormwood Basil Catnip and Catmint Citronella Cloves Lavender Lemon Balm Marigolds Rosemary

How do I use these Natural Repellants?

​Make a big off spray - blend your favorite of the above mentioned essential oils (about 10-20 drops total) with 1 part vodka or drug store witch hazel and 1 part distilled water in a dark or opaque spray bottle and use as you would any other spray on bug repellent. Avoid contact with eyes or mouth, don't spray on the face and be sure to use safe essential oils and dilute further if you are going to use it on children. My favorite blend is lemongrass, tea tree, and lavender (about 4-5 drops each) - I use this on myself and on my baby boy (his clothes, not his skin).

Light candles with the above mentioned herbs or oils in them. I accidentally made a mess of a candle that was supposed to be layered and have floating lavender herbs in it. The layers all blended together, the oil seeped out of the sides, and the lavender went into clumps despite me following the directions in my candle-making book. While it wasn't attractive or that good of a candle, it made a great bug-bomb for when we were outside. I put it in a burn-safe dish, lit it and the herbs and wick all caught fire and turned the oils and wax in the candle into a sort of lamp that drove away all the bugs with a sweet lavender scent. Damon said I should make more lavender bug bombs for this year, haha!

Diffuse the above mentioned oils in diffusers around the area you will be in if camping, hanging out in your yard, etc.
Grow the above mentioned herbs in containers or a garden around your house.
Smudge with the above mentioned herbs or add them to your camp fire.
Make a pomador with clove buds stuck in a lemon, lime, or orange. These are not just for the winter holidays! They smell great and I've even seen people make cute designs with the cloves in theirs. ​

I'm Oil Pulling?

So I've decided to try out a natural oral care regiment starting with oil pulling. I plan to add other natural oral care techniques to my routine but one at a time. My hope is to share with you all how it goes for me so you can get a first hand look that isn't selling anything - most of the post I've seen talking about oil pulling are from companies or people who have been doing this for years. I'm just starting and if you are thinking of starting or curious about what its like, here you go:

What is Oil Pulling?

Oil Pulling is the act of swishing oil in your mouth, between your teeth, for a certain amount of time (usually recommended about 20 minutes) in order to detox the mouth and the body.
Why does this work?
The mouth is both one of the biggest places we take in toxins (through food, drink, air, etc) and one of our biggest places of detox. In the morning, many of us have a bad taste in the mouth, a filmy feeling, or even just junk on our tongue. This is all signs of detox from a night of fasting while we sleep. One of the worst things you can do is get a big swig of water because that would just wash all those toxins back into the body.
Oil pulling does what the name says, you pull the oil between your teeth and along your gums and it pulls the toxins into itself so that when you spit, the toxins go out, not in.

*Benefits of Oil Pulling

Whitens teeth
Improves breath
Soothes bleeding gums
Believed to reduce inflammation.
Shown improvement in acne, Keratosis Pilaris, Psoriasis and Eczema.
TMJ sufferers have reported less jaw pain from oil pulling.
In some studies, oil pulling reduces Streptococcus Mutans bacteria, a significant contributor to tooth decay.

Which Oil Do I Use?

I use coconut oil.
Coconut Oil contains ealthy fats called medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), these unique fats include:

• Caprylic acid
• Lauric acid
• Capric acid

91% of the fat in coconut oil is healthy saturated fat.
Unlike long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) found in plant based oils, MCFAs are:

• Easier to digest
• Not readily stored as fat
• Are anti-microbial and anti-fungal
• Smaller in size, allowing easier cell permeability for immediate energy
• Processed by the liver, which means that they are immediately converted to energy instead of being stored as fat

Benefits of coconut oil include:

• Reduces Inflammation and Arthritis
• Cancer Prevention and Treatment (because of the ketones produced in it’s digestion. Tumor cells are not able to access the energy in ketones and are glucose dependent)
• Immune System Boost (antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral)
• Improves Digestion (helps the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, calcium, and magnesium)
• Improves Skin Issues (burns, eczema, dandruff, dermatitis, and psoriasis)
• Prevents Osteoporosis (high levels of antioxidants which help fight free radicals)
• Candida and Yeast Infections (because of the capric acid and lauric acid in coconut oil)

How did I start?

My normal morning routine, not counting the diaper changes, nursing, and other baby care, was a quick brush with Toms of Maine fluoride free toothpaste and a cup of coffee. Not the healthiest but at least I'm brushing.
This morning I got up, did the baby stuff, and then put a small spoonful of coconut oil in my mouth.
I will admit now - this is not the most pleasant experience I've ever had. The coconut feels weird and waxy in my mouth until it melts. Once it melted, I swished it between my teeth.
The recommended amount of time is 20 minutes. It's really hard, btw, to swish 20 minutes. My jaw was getting sore after a minute (I do have TMJ). I only lasted a lil under 5 minutes. Like exercise, its good to build up your time, I'm told.
After pulling, I brushed my teeth. My gums felt soothed, my teeth felt cleaner than when I just brushed. It was really nice. I then made my cup of coffee...I know, I know, one thing at a time.

Have you tried oil pulling? What oil did you use - I know there are oil pulling sets you can get with little pre-packaged oils and all but I've not invested in this yet. How did it go for you? I could use some stories of encouragement.
An article on Oil Pulling I liked by Dr. Axe. You can find info on Oil Pulling everywhere though - Pinterest, TV, billboards, everywhere!

*These statements have not been approved by the FDA. Please see your doctor, dentist, etc for your oral care.

Crochet Carry Case for Your Essential Oils

We now have a crochet pattern for an essential oils carry case on our Etsy shop!
I came up with this pattern after purchasing some oils and thinking about how it would be nice to carry a few with us when we go to events and the like but I didn't want them rolling around in our bags. There are carry cases out that you can buy but I just needed something small to stick a few into. The more I thought about it the more I knew I could make my own - just had to decide if I wanted to sew one or crochet one. I have been meaning to get through some of my stash so crochet it was!

I'm a particular fan of green - as I'm sure most of you can tell on this site. 

Splurging on Spruce Tips

We tried spruce tips for the first time ever the other day. I have been eyeballing the trees in our yard for some time now, waiting like a kid shaking presents leading up to Christmas. Finally, they were ready!

Usnea

I picked a cup full while harvesting Usnea off some dead tree limbs (will post about Usnea later).
I wasn't sure how I wanted to try them at first. Tea, bake them into a cookie, candied...so many ideas from reading about them online.

Damon made the decision for me as he put six freshly caught trout onto the grill.

We love trout salad here.
We started eating trout salad when we first moved to Alaska and were half feeding ourselves just from fish we caught and wild edibles we foraged for. It was actually a really fun and happy time in our lives and we always feel nostalgic now when we eat trout.

With trout salad coming up, I garbled (to pick clean the foraged goods) the spruce tips and put them in a bowl with apple cider vinegar.

Spruce Tips and Trout Salad

Trout Salad Recipe

Grill your trout skin on. Once cooked through, let cool and then pick the meat off the bone. This is a messy, tedious process but worth it.
With a bowl of trout meat, add:
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 large ribs of celery
Mayo to taste
To this I added the spruce tips (removed form the vinegar) chopped lightly.
Serve on a favorite cracker or in a lettuce wrap

My family was a little skeptical of the spruce tip addition to the meal but after a first, hesitant, taste - They Love It! In fact, a few people didn't get to the bowl in time after their first taste - all gone in moments it seems.
I've also added these vinegar spruce tips to carrot and cabbage salad. Soon I'll be giving spruce tip shortbread a shot too!

Why do Spruce Tips Rock?

Besides the yummy flavor that is a lil minty, a lil bitter, a lil medicinal - sounds weird but it is good.
Spruce needles are exceptionally high in Vitamin C, contain carotenoids, rich in minerals such as potassium and magnesium, and they contain plenty of chlorophyll. Native Alaskans often used the dried and preserved tips in tea to prevent scurvy in the winter months as well as to treat symptoms of colds and flu.
These benefits can also be found in other conifer tips, I'm told.

Harvested Spruce Tips

Harvesting Spruce Tips

Look for bright green tips on the end of branches in late spring. These might have a brown, papery casing on the end. When this casing comes off easily, they're ready to be picked. Don't force the casing. If the casing is already off, they can still be picked. However, if the green tip is already spreading out and hardening, they're still edible but not as strong or as pleasant.

Picking them should be a sticky, strong smelling process - one I personally enjoy.
My 7 month old baby boy smelled my hands when I came in from picking and made the funniest face but grinned as if he understood.
Garble them soon then, if you want to preserve do so while fresh so that you can keep the oils intact.

Getting Grounded: The Healing Benefits of Earthing

Go barefoot. Get your feet on the ground, in the grass, in the dirt. Run your toes in the sand, get soil on your heels. Heal yourself from the ground up, literally.

Earthing: (ərTH-ing) verb
1. connecting with Mother Earth through the intimate, grounding connection of bare feet to the Earth's skin.
2. Renewing the electrical connection between humans and the earth.

We here at Terrestrials believe there is an intimate, necessary, beautiful connection between us humans and our home - Earth. Its where we got our name - Terrestrials, those of the Earth.
A few years back, we read the book Earthing: The Most Important Heath Discovery Ever! and it resonated with truths we already guessed at but didn't yet have the scientific backing for. In short, the book explained that many dis-eases that we humans suffer today are due to a disconnect we've created with the Earth.

Disconnected

Think of the last time you had your bare feet touching the earth.
Many of us go days, weeks, even months or years with minimal Earth contact.
We've separated ourselves from the Earth with concrete blocks, asphalt, and rubber soles. We insulate ourselves in buildings and in clothes to keep us from ever being effected by the Earth. This, in concept was a great idea - we won't be bothered by the elements this way. However, we didn't notice the ill-effects until, for many of us, it was too late.

We are electrical beings. Our brains, muscle function, nerve endings - all run on electricity generated by our bodies.
We live in an electrical universe. Our world and its interaction with the planets, moons, and suns of our galaxy are all aligned by electro-magnetic fields. (see: The Electric Universe)
In this world of electricity as electric beings, we need to be grounded.
Appliances, when plugged in and working but not grounded, have the potential to shock anyone around them, overload, catch fire, and more. Now, apply this concept to humans.
When we aren't grounded, we overload, become inflamed (inflammatory illnesses like arthritis and fribromyalgia have been noticeably effected by grounding), are over-stressed, and can, because of this, hurt ourselves and those around us (shocking).

Get Back to the Dirt

One of the first things our midwives told us to do to keep our babies healthy in our post-birth class is to get our babies outside and touching dirt. This might sound completely insane in our world of anti-germs and sterilization but our current society is showing that a germ-free world does not equate to a healthy world.

We have seen the benefits of getting our son outside firsthand. Our little boy is teething and has his cranky days just like anyone else. We've found that if, when he's cranky, we take him outside and let him breathe the fresh air, touch the earth and the trees, his mood rapidly changes. In moments he goes from crying, in pain, and cranky to calm, smiling, and completely soothed.
As for the health benefits, we've noticed the difference in some of our family. My aunt has 2 children. The first she followed the mainstream concept of keeping things as sterile as possible. This child is one that is constantly sick either with a cold, allergies, ear ache, etc. The 2nd child she changed methods and allowed for a lot more outdoor play without stressing over being so germ-free. While this child has had a few cases of belly aches and a cold, the difference in health is remarkable. (Note: both children were raised similarly in every other way from formula fed to diapers so that was not a contributing factor in differences).

When we look at our ancestors - those beloved people who lived into their 90's and even to be 100 or 110, we often see a common link to their long, healthy lives. Many of them spent time connected to the earth. They gardened, farmed, spent time outside regularly.
One of the oldest and healthiest people we know is Damon's grandmother. A woman in her 80's who's only health problems are aching knees and anxiety brought on by past family problems. She is lively and sound of mind. How does she keep up such good health? She gardens. As soon as its warm enough outside to get into the green house, her hands are in soil. As soon as the ground thaws, shes outside, on her knees, digging.
Its not hard to see the connection.

With the warm late spring weather we're having, I cannot recommend more to getting outside, getting barefoot, and getting grounded!

*Affiliate links are used in this blog post. This means that if you purchase a book through our Amazon affiliate link, we get a small commission. You do not pay extra by using this link. The use of this link in no way effected our recommendation or use of this product. 

Welcoming Questions!

Labrador Tea

 All around our propert grows this evergreen vine-like shrub that I kept being drawn too while we were walking around, taking in the spring sunshine and fresh air. I flashed a few pics of it with my phone, took it to a group of fellow wild-herb enthusiasts and confirmed my suspicions...

My Herb Journal Notes

Ledum groenlandicum 
L.palustre
L. glandulosum aka Trappers Tea - white underneath
L. latifolium
Common name: marsh tea
Also considered part of the Rhododendron family so you will often see these scientific names as R. groenlandicum, etc. instead.

Tonic, diaphoretic, and pectoral. Also considered a narcotic.
Was used by natives as a medicine. European settlers used it as a beverage to replace tea, a tradition taken up by natives during the time of settlers.
Blood purifier, treat rheumatism, combat cold symptoms, yteat stomach ailments, hangovers, dizziness, pulminory disorders including tuberculosis. A wash soothes rashes, poison ivy, sores, burns, leprosy.
Marinade for strong meats and tannins used to tan hides. Has ben used in beer making.
Use as a wash against lice and other insects.

In a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 1992, Dr. Allison McCutcheon and colleagues found the branches of Labrador tea act as an antibiotic against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis. Previous studies demonstrated the floweringheads in an extract were effective against both bacteria as well as the yeast Candida albicans. Other researchers also found extracts from the leaves active against Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.  ~Beverly Gray

Toxicity

I had to ask, when I first started looking into Labrador tea - Is it really toxic? Can we really base these decisions on the poisoning of stock animls who have ingested entire stands of it? Bases is on Ledol or ledum camphor, much like suspicions of comfrey being toxic being based on studies on lab rats.
So I did my reading and what I learned is yes BUT L. groenlandicum is supposed to be safe in a small dose as it has the least amount of ledol and its tisane often drunk for its medicinal use. I would not drink more than 1-2 cups a day though, if you decide to drink often and do not brew longer than 5-10 minutes.

Look-a-likes - bog rosemary, bog laurel, as well as other types of Labrador, all of which are considered toxic but do not have that rust looking fuzz underneath.

Harvest and Brew

Best harvested in spring when bright green but available to harvest year round - choose wooly, fragrant leaves
Leaves oft retain color, shape and flex even when dried. Store whole.
Blend in tea with rosehips, wood sorrels, licorice fern, anise hyssop, wild ginger, mint, citrus fruit peel, or chai herb mix may be used for flavor. Can also be cut with black tea.
Steam crushed hern up to 10 minutes


I will keep you all updated on how this tea works out for me.
Green Blessings
December