Just in time for Halloween!

All natural face/body paint recipes that are safe and non toxic!

Since most store bought face paint contains harmful ingredients like lead, I thought I would post a few alternative recipes that will help you feel better about painting your little ones faces-even the tiniest of whiskers!






 Here are some that I've used in the past:

Paint #1
You will need:
Base of safe, unscented lotion OR pure cocoa butter
Natural food coloring
To prepare:
~Mix a few drops of natural food coloring into the base ingredient of your choice.
~Test on a small patch of skin before applying to face or body
I usually test on the inside of my kid's wrist

Paint #2
You will need:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of natural cold cream
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Natural Food color
To prepare:
~Mix cold cream with corn starch
~Add your food color until you reach the desired shade

Also, I have a new favorite:

Paint #3
You will need:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of cocoa butter or thick organic lotion
Organic food coloring or bright flowers and/or berries-for darker color I love to use blackberries-you can get pretty close to black color with those!  Also, charcoal shavings work well for making outlines or mustaches!  Just break open a charcoal tablet and mix into your cocoa butter!
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
To prepare:
~Mix the lotion and cornstarch to a paste consistency

To avoid a rash use a hypo allergenic organic lotion
~Add food coloring a drop at a time to the paste and mix it in until you achieve the desired color
(with flower petals you may want to boil to release the color and with berries it's easiest to smash with a fork or use a blender to release the juice)
~Apply the paint!
Make sure you post if you've tried any of these and how they worked for you!  
I'm planning on painting my kids faces this weekend and will post pics of the results!
Smooches!
Kat

DIY!
Check out my awesome changing table transformation!

My neighbor put this vintage changing table out on the curb and I thought...hmmm this could be totally fabulous.  So I asked her if I could take it and  I immediately went to work!


This is the BEFORE:

 Check out the transformation below!



My supplies:
1 jar of silver metallic paint-I used the Martha Stewart brand available at Home Depot, the small jar was more then enough for this small of a project
1 mini roller frame
1 two pack of textured rollers
1 extra fine sanding block
1 mini paint tray
1 dropcloth
1 paintbrush
1 pair of gloves


First, I prepped my work area and sanded down the entire piece with an "extra fine" sanding block, to take off some of the old finish.

Second, using the roller, I painted most of the surface that could be rolled and touched up any tough spots with a brush.

I waited overnight and then gave it another good coating.  I applied about 4 coats to get a nice smooth, almost mirror like finish.

Voila!  Looking good right?

I know had something totally chic and fun to display!
Now...what do I do with it?

A-HA!  I had the perfect idea...

I think it works perfect in my Daughter's room to display all her Build A Bears and she absolutely loves it!


Now... I can have a beer!

Whatcha drinking???

My bottled water research unveiled!

About a year ago I was sitting at my Mom’s house getting ready to mix my Son's formula.

Coincidentally, we were discussing bottled water quality, which sparked an interest in me and made me want to test the distilled nursery water I was serving my baby.

My parents have recently invested in a water tester and have been testing their tap and bottled water to check for amounts of TDS.

So I did some research to figure out exactly what TDS was and what amount of it was safe in my bottled water and more important-my infant’s distilled water.

Here are some facts I came across:

 
-Bottled water is regulated under standards set by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
 
-The FDA uses Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as a measure for how pure the water is.
 
-TDS is the sum of all dissolved solids in water( minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions measured in parts per million (ppm).
 
-All bottled water contains TDS.
 
-Spring water is derived from an underground formation from which water flows to the Earth's surface and is treated to remove bacteria and other organic material.
 
-FDA regulations mandate a maximum TDS of 500 ppm for spring water(according to the EPA-Environmental Protection Agency) and according to Aquafina's website, a maximum of 10ppm for purified water.  (I say according to Aquafina because I was not able to find that anywhere else but their website)
 

 
Okay, so I literally ran to my Mac and ordered a handy dandy TDS tester on Amazon for about $25.  

It’s really easy to use and it comes with a TDS chart that helps you rank where YOUR water falls in.

These were MY findings using my TDS tester and the water we consume in our household:

MY tap water-308 ppm

Nursery water(purified and distilled)-25 ppm

Aquafina (purified drinking water)-2 ppm

Sam’s Choice
(purified drinking water)-15 ppm 


I feel a little better owning this little device and being able to conduct my little experiment.  
I hope you enjoyed it.
Also, as I try out different brands of water, I will update the results and post them in this blog-so look out for your brand to be tested next-or simply comment on what bottled water you drink and I will try to test it and post the results asap.

Just FYI-I recently stocked up on Aquafina, haha!

For more information on water safety regulations you can visit:
http://www.epa.gov/
or for more info on TDS and what it means for you visit:
http://www.tdsmeter.com/what-is#what

Well helloooooo beautiful!

I was going to say hello you sexy thing, you but then you probably get the Victoria's Secret emails already ;) 


Anyway, I decided to start this blog to be able to connect with other women just like me.
More specifically, connect around a healthy lifestyle, home and family.

I wanted to bring full circle your thoughts and ideas because as I'm finding out quickly, there is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom out there that if we share with each other, we can all grow a bit or a lot!

I mean come on, we do so much as Moms, single Moms, working Moms stay at home Moms...Moms of pets:)...

That's just Moms, however let's not forget women in general-we are strong and fearless and we totally rock a pair of sweatpants like it's Spring 2014 runway couture!  (I know I try:)

We also know a lot.  I mean a ton!  Household remedies, where to find that stroller or designer sweater for less... this is really good stuff!

We also care-now-more then ever..

We care about health, fitness, beauty and the well being of ourselves and our families and friends.

I care about what we eat, breathe, touch every day and I've made it my mission to share the better choices I discover- anything from which water is least chemically processed, to which peanut butter is really just peanut butter with no unnecessary ingredients.   

I'm hoping that through my posts here I will bring at least a chuckle or thought or something sweet into your everyday crazy busy life... after all that's my mission!

Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts, comments, suggestions and anything else-I really would love for this to be a place where women can connect, have fun and learn from each other.

YOU'RE AWESOME!!!
Love Kat

Not all peanut butter is 
created equal!
Really,
I'm sure you have a preference of creamy vs chunky, your favorite brand and so on...
 
Recently, I compared labels on some popular PB brands and was blown away. 
The amount of weird crap that companies choose to make their PB with is just pathetic. 
To be honest, I never really paid attention until I had children on what's in the jar, as long as the contents were yummy.:)
One day, while enjoying a protein plate at Starbucks, I cracked open a pouch of their Justin's peanut butter.  Wow!  It was sooooo good, I decided to invest in a jar of my own.  (I say invest because the 10 oz jar cost $10)
Anyway, that WAS my favorite for a long time...I also tried the almond butter and it was-well amazing. 
However nothing, I mean NOTHING, compares to the discovery I've made at Fresh Market in Geneva. 

While skipping through the aisles, I came to an abrupt halt. 
What in the world is this?  Could it really be?
Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen-The Fresh Market had a PEANUT BUTTER dispenser!
I walked up slowly in disbelief and picked up a package of ready ground fresh PB.  Wait, no way...I want to make my own!  There it is after all, in all it's glory, just waiting for you to flip the switch!
Like a kid in a candy store, I grabbed an empty container and flipped the switch. 
Here it came, the pure and honest goodness pouring out into my little plastic tub. 

I walked away happier then a pig in slop!

So here's the scoop-The Fresh Market has two machines-Peanut butter and almond butter.
I have not tried the almond butter yet because the machines seems to be broken every time I go in.
There are already pre-made tubs you can pick up or you can flip the switch and make your own.
Nothing else is in the dispenser-just the peanuts that when you flip the switch, get ground into kind of a smooth paste with just a bit of crunch. 
It's perfection that I highly recommend!
YUM!

 

My list of non-toxic, 

kid safe nail polish!

 

 

 When I think of Formaldehyde,

I think dead bodies, high school biology class where we dissect frogs, you know, that kinda stuff! 
In my nail polish though? NO THANK YOU!
 

I mean, I've been painting my daughter's nails since she was a baby and the thought of that stuff even touching her, creeps me out!
So here's the scoop-there are three lethal ingredients in most nail polish to steer clear of:

1-DBP-Dibutyl phthalate
2-Formaldehyde
3-Toluene
 

All three have been linked to issues-from skin irritation to birth defect in animals.
Yuck!
However, there are several companies making non toxic polish-here's a list of some of them:
Piggy Paint-water based, safe for kids, odorless, non-toxic
Spa Ritual-free of the three above
Safe Nail Polish-Strong, Odorless, Non-Toxic &
Hypo-Allergenic - It's Water Based, and lasts
like conventional polish!
Nubar-Carcinogen free
Priti-carcinogen free
No-Miss-free of the three above also no camphor
Sante-formaldehyde, toulene and colophony rosin freeHoneybee Gardens-water based, removes with rubbing alcohol, odorless
Acquarella-water based
Suncoat-water based
Peacekeeper Cause-Metics-created by the environmental Working Group as the safes paint-based natural nail polish

I guess it's time to clean out that ole cabinet or cosmetic bag! 

Kiss, Kiss,

Kat