life from the ground up

2017 Year in Review

January 30, 2018 By: Gabecomment

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I don’t share a lot of personal stuff, but sometimes it’s helpful to remind you that I’m a real person too. Although I could easily be mistaken for a robot on occasion. But truly, we’re just like you – we have highs and lows, reasons to be joyful and to cry, good days and not-so-good days. At the end of it all, we feel extremely blessed, and while life isn’t perfect, there’s not much that we would trade. Maybe one of the dogs for something a little quieter. Anyway, I hope you feel equally blessed, and remember, we’re all trying to get through this thing together!

I know that we’re now well into 2018, so this comes a little late, but that’s kinda how we roll around here. We tend to show up five or ten (or thirty, who am I kidding?) minutes after the party has started. Especially with an extra kid in tow… Yeah, speaking of that, we added another to the mix in 2017.

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Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

January 5, 2018 By: Gabe1 Comment

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Our affinity for sourdough is well-documented, and we may have a new addition in the fold. We’ve made these sourdough cinnamon rolls for the last two Christmas mornings, and it might be a new tradition.

Not only are these rolls as delicious as any other I’ve tried, they’re made with a living sourdough starter. This results in an extra-flavorful roll, as well as imparting a number of health benefits.

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Cool and Soothing Peppermint Body Butter

December 19, 2017 By: Gabecomment

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Winter is a trying time for skin. When the cold weather hits, it hits hard, and I fight with dryness constantly. Fortunately, a simple body butter is easy to whip up and will nourish and moisturize your skin through the worst of times.

I posted a recipe for a basic body butter a couple years ago, and the process is much the same. This time around, I added a little arrowroot powder to help it feel less greasy, and also a good dose of peppermint essential oil. Peppermint is soothing and cooling, perfect for angry skin. It can also have a nice tingling effect. S has used a peppermint lotion on her feet and legs and likes that sensation, and I’ve tried to replicate it.

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Homemade Wax Melts

December 15, 2017 By: Gabe3 Comments

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First, there were bowls of potpourri.

Then there were various plug-ins, smelly cones, and reed diffusers. I admit, I used to keep one of the gel plug-ins in my bedroom, with some sort of Tropical Breeze scent.

It seems that people have a thing for nice smells, and one of the latest that I’ve seen is the little wax melts that you put into some kind of warming device. The wax melts, a pleasant odor disperses, and we’re all happy.

But of course, something smelling of Sugar Cookie or Tropical Breeze is most likely not natural, and artificial fragrances are among the worst of offenders. Fortunately, it’s super easy to make your own homemade wax melts that still smell great and contain no toxic ingredients.

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DIY All-Natural Weed Killer

October 26, 2017 By: Gabecomment

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Although weeds are different things to different people, one thing is universal: if it’s a weed, you probably don’t want it around. I’m not super concerned about eliminating every weed, especially since many of them are actually beneficial. But I prefer that they stay out of the garden and out of the patio cracks.

Unfortunately, commercial herbicides are quite nasty. Glysophate (Roundup) is a particularly hot-button topic, as you’ve no doubt heard since all of these Roundup lawsuits started popping up. And while others aren’t getting the recent press, they’re no less worrisome. So if I can find a natural weed killer that works, and I can spray it while the kids are right next to me, I’m all in.

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