Aloe vera plant

Before we answer that question, what exactly is aloe vera?

Aloe vera, sometimes described as a "wonder plant," is a short-stemmed shrub. Aloe is a genus that contains more than 500 species of flowering succulent plants. Many Aloes occur naturally in North Africa. Medical News Today

The whole leaves are dense, erect and furnish a gelatinous extract. This gel is used to help with the healing of burns and is in cosmetic and skin care creams. The aloe plant is easy to grow and requires little water to survive.

Using Aloe For Skin Health

A natural compound found in the aloe vera gel is called aloin. Aloin is a depigmentation agent, so it lightens those dark areas on the skin.

Because of this compound, people purchase aloe vera leaves to make their own face masks and treat deep pores, scarring, and blemishes. If you have a plant at home you have healing at your fingertips and can start using it immediately.

Recipe for...

Ingredients:

Aloe leafVitamin E gel tablet or oilYour choice of essential oil

Supplies:

Medium sized glass bowlForkSpoonKnifeChopping boardSmall glass jar

Directions:

To begin you need to purchase or cut off a leaf of an Aloe vera plant. Next, cut the sharp edges and then peel off one flat side, or using your knife split the aloe vera down the middle. As you will not use an entire leaf at one time you will cut a section about two inches wide; wrap the end that is open of your remaining leaf and store it in your refrigerator until the next use.With a spoon, scrape the gel found on the inside into a bowl.Whip with a fork for about three minutes until the chunks are smooth.Split open a vitamin E tablet or use about 1/8 teaspoon of vitamin E oil and stir into aloe vera.Pick an essential oil like orange, rose hip, or lemon and add three to four drops into the aloe vera mixture.Stir until well blended, around three minutes.Pour the mixture into a glass jar.Apply to face, preferably at night when the mixture can do its magic.

To store, place your glass jar in the refrigerator. The mixture will keep for about 3 weeks.

Using Aloe for Burns

Even when we try to make it through an entire Summer without getting a sunburn it still happens. Whether it’s you or someone in your family it’s almost a guarantee you will be hearing the “Oh that hurts.”  The obvious answer in hearing and dealing with sunburns is to prevent getting one in the first place. I’m going to call this natural prevention and natural treatments of sunburns. Let’s start with the prevention list.

How to Prevent a Sunburn

Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants.

This is the easiest and most natural form of preventing sunburn.  Dressing in long sleeve items that are made from light cotton or other breathable material allows you to be protected from the sun and eliminates the need for sunscreen.  You can also buy longer swim attire for you or your children when you are at the lake or pool.

 Hats

Male or female, adult or child.  There are so many styles of hats you can choose from that prevent sunburns and look amazing no matter what face structure you have.  Keeping the sun off of your face is key.  With wider brim hats you can protect your ears and neck also.  Doing that, in the long run, will help your skin keep its youthful glow and limit age spots.

I am writing this post and also using my own advice to get my infant to sleep through the night. When she was born, we had a great routine and she only woke once through the night. Now, at seven months old she has decided sleeping is not for her.

As she is not my first child, I understand what is going on and am here to offer advice for you moms who might become frustrated with bedtime.

There is no need to have your house turned upside down and you exhausted because your baby won't sleep. With simple but consistent ideas and routines you, your hubby, and most importantantly, your baby will sleep through the night.

Reasons why my baby won't sleep?

There are multiple reasons why your baby won't sleep or won't stay asleep.

From an early age on, your baby may need to feed, They may want a more consistent bedtime and routine. It could be a comfort issue where they feel a little anxiety from separation, now that they're aware. When teething starts they may feel discomfort enough to pull them out of deep sleep. Sickness also comes into play as your baby may not be able to breathe or they have a fever.Comfortable clothes can cause discomfort.Last, their diaper may need a change.

Understanding your baby's needs before you change or try something new is crucial. Each baby and age are needing different things at different times. Parents also have different schedules, so rarely is this a one size fits all concept.

During the first 2 months, your newborn's need to eat overrules her need to sleep. She may feed almost every 2 hours if you're breastfeeding, and possibly a little less often if you bottle-feed.Your baby may sleep from 10 to 18 hours a day, sometimes for 3 to 4 hours at a time. But babies don’t know the difference between day and night. So they sleep with no regard for what time it is. That means your baby’s wide-awake time may be from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.By 3 to 6 months, many babies are able to sleep for a stretch of 6 hours. But just as you think your baby is getting into a nice routine -- usually between 6 and 9 months -- normal developmental stages can throw things off. For instance, when your baby begins to associate bedtime with being left alone, she may start crying just to keep you around.WebMD

Getting Your Baby to Sleep Using HAPPY.

Hunger- Newborns and up to a year, babies are often hungry. As you probably have this figured out early on you may forget. Using my own experience as an example, my baby and I had a great feeding routine at night until one night she just would not stay asleep. As she is seven months old I thought, "what the heck is going on?" Going through the list of are you feeding her, check, is she sick, diaper full, etc. I couldn't figure it out. It wasn't until I talked with my experienced mother did I figure out I wasn't feeding her enough.

I would nurse her during the day and feed her extra food, but it just wasn't enough food. After realizing this, I started feeding her throughout the day and two hours before I would lay her down at night. Bananas, cereal, squash, whatever she wanted, and was healthy for her, and let her eat her fill.

I honestly thought she would get the biggest bellyache of her life the first night I did this, but I let her tell me when she had enough. Signs like turning her head to say, "no," and so on. That night she didn't sleep all through the night, but she slept a lot longer in between and it was more peaceful.

Anxiety- At the start of six months, babies seem to develop a few separation issues. They know when mom and dad aren't there and often cry when they leave the room.

Different types of water

People often think any type of water is good for you as long as you're consuming the recommended amount.

That, however, is not true, it does matter. The type of water you drink is so important. The right kind of water cleans, hydrates and replenishes you and makes up more than half your body weight.

Water is something you consume on a daily basis and should be looked at to the same degree as the healthy foods you eat. You will spend time and money to make sure you are getting the best foods, so why wouldn't you do the same for water?

If you're not sure what the difference is in the water you drink, then perhaps this post will help. If you are sure and just haven't taken the steps to implement the changes, then this might be the boost you need.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis uses semi-permeable membrane on filtering all kinds of waterborne contaminants and toxic substances present on the water. It is very keen and helpful to get rid away those harmful contaminants even those heavy metals. It is easy to clean and easy to maintain as well because it consists only of very few parts. In short, it is loved by many because it improves taste, removes impurities, saves money, and only needs simple maintenance. Reverse osmosis system uses 4-5 stages of filtration compared to other types of filtration that make it a good choice. It is approved and passed the standards of EPA, so you are assured of its system’s quality.The Berkey

Treated Water

About 94% of water utilities are small or rural municipal systems. These systems serve populations of 10,000 or less.

In the United States, rural water has fluoride added to it and is usually in the amount of 0.7 parts per million (ppm), the maximum allowed as of 2015. This was lowered after adults and children were getting white splotches and streaks on their teeth for consuming too much fluoride.

Chlorine is also found in rural water and can be extremely toxic. According to the dictionary, chlorine is the chemical element of atomic number 17, a toxic, irritant, pale green gas.

Bottled Water

Bottled water is produced at local bottling plants under strictly-monitored standards set by the International Bottled Water Association. We use a reverse osmosis purification process that is able to reduce microscopic impurities and contaminants far more effectively than carbon filter pitchers and faucet filter attachments. Northern Plains Culligan

Bottled Water

Different types of bottled water aren't always what they seem. Be sure to look at the labels to see if anything else has been put in your water to add taste. Pure clean water can have a sweet taste due to natural minerals. However, in the case of bottled water, companies like Dasani have added magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, and salt alongside purified water on its Nutrition Facts label. 

Well Water

Well water comes directly from the ground at depths that depend entirely on your location and source. Once your water source is located pipes and hand or electric pumps bring it to the surface.

Note: If you have an old well or have just purchased a property, then you should have your water checked. To do this send a sample to the Department of Health or Agriculture in your state.

Natural Spring Water

Natural spring water flows from a spring. You can then bottle it at the source.

Artesian Water

Teas recipes for every season.

Honey in bottles

Honey is one of those pure diverse foods that can have a great effect in more than one area.

It's a type of medicine, sugar substitute, helps with local allergies and lasts forever.

This is one of those rare times when you can eat something sweet and gain benefits. That doesn't mean you eat a jar at a time, but in moderation, it does mean you don't have to feel guilty.

Honey, as most of you know is made by bees and is a thick sweet syrup. A tablespoon of raw honey contains 64 calories, is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free, says the National Honey Board. What some of you don't know is the difference between raw honey and regular honey.

Raw Honey vs Regular

Raw honey is best described as honey “as it exists in the beehive” (1). It is made by extracting honey from the honeycombs of the hive and pouring it over a mesh or nylon cloth to separate the honey from impurities like beeswax and dead bees (2). Once strained, raw honey is bottled and ready to be enjoyed.On the other hand, the production of regular honey involves several more steps before it is bottled — such as pasteurization and filtration (1). Pasteurization is a process that destroys the yeast found in honey by applying high heat. This helps extend the shelf life and makes it smoother (2). Medically reviewed by Ryan Raman, MS, RD at healthline.com

Large commercial honey packers additionally push and process honey through a filter under pressure.  This process refines and provides a beautiful transparent product that will look great on the shelf.

However, ultra-filtration creates a problem because it removes beneficial micro-nutrients like enzymes, antioxidants, and pollen in honey.  Thereby, weakening the nutritional impact and value of the product.

A tablespoon of honey.

Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is one of the best remedies to treat seasonal allergies. It is also helpful for pet allergies and dust mites because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

Becoming a type of vaccine due to the trace amount of pollen, it naturally helps to protect against specific allergens. A person wanting to use honey for allergies should consume it local, raw, and organic (if you can).

Note: Do not give honey to infants under the age of one year old.

Spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria — found in dirt and dust, which can contaminate honey — may lead to infant botulism and produce a toxin inside the body that can cause muscle weakness and breathing problems.Medical Daily

Medical Benefits of Honey

A friend's child who is under the age of two suffered second, and third-degree burns on her hand when she put it in a pot of hot coffee. As they don't live close to town, and the snow and roads did not permit them to travel, they had no choice but to treat the child at home. This was done using raw honey.

Covering and then wrapping their daughter's hand with raw honey and gauze they treated her wound. Because of the immediate result of seeing how the hand was healing, they continued to treat her at home for the next few weeks. When we went for supper just two weeks ago and looked at their daughter, I could not tell that she ever had a burn on her tiny hand. It truly was amazing!

Honey is a natural antibiotic that can act both internally and externally. It can be used as a conventional treatment for wounds and burns by disinfecting wounds and sores from major species of bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).Medical Daily

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Cold weather-related injuries such as trench foot, frostbite, chilblains, and frostnip, don't always occur when the weather is below freezing.

This is a story of how a lifetime and hard work along with a good attitude adds builds and creates and community and family structure that will last. Read MoreLaying a Foundation, Brick by BrickRead MoreLaying a Foundation, Brick by Brick

Eating clean doesn't mean you can't enjoy food.