Friday, September 18, 2009

Weekend Buy One Get One Deal and New Listings at Aquarian Bath



Have any fun plans for the weekend? Tonight I'm going to open telescope night at Embry Riddle University, working in the Fair Share Garden on Saturday, and taking little Moira to Sesame Street on Stage. That should be fun.

I am also participating in Etsy's Weekend buy one get one free weekend deals today through Sunday: September 18th -20th. Buy one lip balm and get one free of equal or lesser value with the comment code WEEKEND DEALS.

I also have a few new listings in my etsy shop that I haven't mentioned on my blog yet. Stop in and have a look.

Black Licorice Tooth Powder made with bentonite clay, organic licorice root, myrhh extract powder, and activated charcoal.



I also have two new deodorants in stock Triple infused Rose Geranium, and Lemongrass-Rose Geranium.


Halloween is coming! Take advantage of my 5 for $20 Halloween soap listing. These are great
sugar-free prizes.


My Fever Blister balm is also available now in the larger 1.5 oz size. This balm can be used for herpes outbreaks anywhere on the body.





Bookmark and Share

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Preparing for Cold and Flu Seaon Part 2: Healing Home Brews


Did you know if you notice the signs of a cold early you can stop it before it really settles in? This is true for colds characterized by body aches, chill, and stiff neck. If you have been exposed to others who are sick, then monitor yourself for the early signs of stiff neck, aches, and chill or aversion to drafts. The trick is to promote sweating early on (sweating out the cold). I use a very reliable brew recipe from my Chinese medicine teachers at the first sign of a this kind of illness. You can make this brew up right away before the cold or flu takes hold and you start getting other symptoms like post nasal drip or congestion. It is really helpful to have the onion and fresh ginger on hand during cold and flu season.

Recipe for Wind Cold Brew with Ginger, Onion and Brown Sugar:

Boil together and simmer for 30 minutes 2-4 scallions or half an onion, 2-3 slices of fresh ginger (dried is okay too if you don't have fresh), and 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar in approximately one quart of water.

Bundle up and drink this hot to promote sweating. The sweating is what helps to kick out the cold. You can also drink it while sitting in a hot bath and then bundling up. This method works very well expel a cold out before can take hold. Sometimes, especially if you are around others who are sick, you may have to repeat this more than once, or repeat it the next day because the symptoms may start to creep back, but generally speaking once you have bundled up and sweated you will feel back to normal after this process. It is important to avoid getting chilled or exposed to drafts or wind to keep the cold from coming back.

What can you do if a cold has already set in? Fire Cider is a great brew to have on hand for sinus colds and congestion. It is especially good for clear or white watery phlegm due to the warming nature of the herbs included in the recipe. You can drink a teaspoonful or more straight, add some to hot herbal tea, soups or use it in cooking.

Rosemary Gladstar is believed to be the source of the original recipe according to Lady Barbara Hall from whom I received and slightly modified this recipe:

Fire Cider:

To make 1 pint jar (use glass) of fire cider you need:

1/4 cup shredded horseradish root 1/4 cup grated fresh ginger root 1/8 cup finely chopped garlic 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 2 or 3 sliced whole red hot peppers or a pinch of cayenne

Cover with apple cider vinegar and let infuse for four to six weeks. Shake during the infusion time daily if possible. Make sure you use a non-metallic lid for your container. Strain the vinegar and enjoy.

What about for the kiddies? Children are not likely going to be able to tell you that they are in the early stage of a cold or be inclined to take fire cider. Elderberry extract is a very good option for children as well as adults. It reduces fever and shortens the duration of colds. Seek out your local herbalist for elderberry extract. You can also look for preparations at your local health food stores. Sambucus nigra is the most commonly used elder berry. Here in Florida I collect Sambucus simpsonii which also works very well.

Tea pot by eco-friendly market member Claynfiber available at 1000markets.




Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season Part 1: Vitamin D

Fall is slowly creeping up on us here in Central Florida. It is not too late though to get some sunshine to build up your Vitamin D reserves. I found this great video from Paul Bergner last month about the importance of Vitamin D in preventing colds, flu, and cancers. In summary Vitamin D is created by the body when it is exposed to sunlight which is at an angle of 45 degrees or more. During the autumn and winter months in northern latitudes the sun does not reach this height. This corresponds with depleted serum levels of Vitamin D and increased occurrence of colds and flus. I consulted with Jason P Aufdenberg professor at Embry Riddle about the sun angles here in Daytona Beach. According to his calculations the noon-time sun in Daytona Beach reaches greater than 45 degrees altitude until November 4th, then not again until about February 5th. Enjoy the video!






Bookmark and Share

Friday, September 11, 2009

New Survey! Help me improve my product offerings if you have a minute.


I just created a survey for Aquarian Bath using Survey Monkey. If there are different items that you are longing to see in my shop then now is your chance to weigh in! Thanks for taking a minute to check it out. This will really be helpful to me since I'm planning to add new products this fall. Perfumes are at the top of my list, but also considering additional soaps and aftershave. Click Here to take survey.




Bookmark and Share

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

I think I'm going to cry when Okra season is over.



I never thought I would be the person who wanted okra for breakfast lunch and dinner, but that is where I am right now. Luckily I have been able to have it about once a day for the past few weeks. We have a few long rows of okra at the Fair Share Garden where Joel Tippens is encouraging us to sneak up on the okra.



Okra is a flowering Hibiscus, which is a member of the mallow family. It is native to West Africa and an important plant for tropical homesteading.

To prepare it I slice the smaller sized okra fruits. If the the fruits are over 5 inches long or so they tend to get pithy and fibrous, but the seeds are still edible. I fry about 3 cups of sliced okra and seeds in 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of hot pepper apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.



This tastes so much better to me than the breaded and deep fried okra that you find often in the southern buffets.



Do you have a favorite okra recipe or vegetable recipe to share? This simple recipe along with others will be included in a Fair Share Garden cook book that we are creating as a fundraiser for Fair Share. If you have a good vegetable recipe you can post it in the comments section or email it to me directly at aquarianbath@gmail.com.

Okra on Foodista




Bookmark and Share

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Starfall: A Great Resource for Young Children on International Literacy Day



Today is International Literacy Day. I wanted to celebrate it by sharing my favorite website for children who are learning to read. A lot of people have asked me what kind of activities Moira does as a homeschooled five year old. For learning her alphabet and reading she spends time at the interactive children's site Starfall.com. This site is fun and interactive for young kids. They just need to be able to use a mouse to enjoy it. Enjoy.






Bookmark and Share

Monday, September 7, 2009

Eat in for Slow Food



Moira and I just got home from an Eat in demonstration at the Fair Share Garden. We gathered to promote healthy food for children's school lunches. We enjoyed some lovely blue berry whole wheat pancakes, pumpkin muffins, fresh vegetables, herbal tea, yogurts and more. I learned today that all of the Florida schools are contracted with a distributor who delivers California produce. Fair Share would like for kids to have the opportunity to grow food in school gardens. Slow Food USA is asking congress to increase the budget for school lunches so that schools can afford healthy foods for kids instead of cheap junk food like tater tots. If you agree please add your name to the petition.








Bookmark and Share