Green Machine

What is this whole "Going Green" madness about, really? Is it a new found industry much like our technology booms? Or is it a new awareness amongst the human civilization (of the USA) that if we continue on the path we are on, there might not be much left for us to enjoy in this world? There are debates upon debates upon debates about terminology like carbon footprints, etc... thanks Al, whether or not we should be taxing for said carbon footprints, if hybrid cars are worth their weight in the long run versus the SUV.... on and on and on.


There is news media from both the conservative and the liberal sides spouting off extremes and end of days messages. Are our lightbulbs really that bad? I mean, really?! It is a topic that infiltrates our daily lives without fail. Slogans like "Green!" "Think Global, buy Local!" "Global Warming..." I mean "Global Cooling" "Climate Change!!!" Oh brother!


But who are we to believe? What really is the truth? And how do we sift through all the other junk that is out there when we already have full lives as it is? Who has the time to decipher it all? AND THEN, when you finally do break through the lies and get to the root of the problem, where do you start to make changes in your life? Where do you begin? There is so much to do, so much money to spend, so much to replace! 


It is downright overwhelming.


I have my own political views on this matter that I won't bog you down with, however, I overheard a conversation some months ago where a gentleman brought up a truly brilliant point that I had never heard before. He said, in regards to "going green to save the world": 


"The Earth will always be here, whether it is lush and green and full of life or covered in ice or burnt to a crisp. The Earth will always survive. It is the human race that needs to worry. We shouldn't be changing our lifestyles under the impression that we are going to Save the World. We should be doing it so that we can save ourselves and the future generations to come." 


With that said, I feel like this blog has evolved from a basic "Look at my Garden" journal to an all encompassing lifestyle awareness resource. My household, in preparation for our move to Oregon this summer, is beginning to rummage through our belongings and see what we need, what we want, and what is healthy for us. It is a long process, downsizing, but it will be worth it in the end. 


Through my education at SWIHA I have been blessed to be exposed to knowledge, philosophies, and plans of action that result in a healthier lifestyle for my family. We have changed our ideologies regarding this Green Movement from thinking that we could Save the World and, instead, have started to focus on how to better our own lives through living the healthiest way we can. This includes ridding our house of chemicals, plastics, and electronic distractions. It also includes making healthier food choices like where we eat, where we shop, and attempting to plant our own gardens. 


When we move and begin our homestead we will have water from a Well, solar power, a garden and orchard to feed our family with organic deliciousness, and herbs galore. We will have chickens and goats. This lifestyle will save us money on utilities and groceries. We will feel accomplished and proud of our ability to live off of the land and to be free of outside resources. We will be able to share our experience with others in many, many different ways. And physically, we will be stronger than ever by working our land. This is our way of "Going Green" and we are doing it for US. Respect for the Earth and all of its creatures falls under a different category and is something we will never forget. For us, it is a philosophy, a way of life, a deep rooted belief and growing practice.


In the blog post to follow I will share some easy ways to get started on helping your family become healthier on a budget. Quick and simple - no solar panels necessary.


What Does "Going Green" Mean to You?
~ Birdie

Tinctures Have Arrived!

Finally, without a moment to lose, Oak Tree Apothecary now offers medicinal tinctures available for sale in the Etsy Shop! Click on the photo to be taken directly to the shop to learn about what each Tincture does.

LION HART

STIMULATING BALANCE

NATURE'S GIFT

MIGRAINE RELIEF

Thank you for stopping by and taking a look around. Your support is much appreciated!


Deepest of Gratitudes,
~Birdie

Medicinal Roots - Week 2: Acne/Blackheads

Question:
I have been battling black heads and acne-prone skin all of my life. On a day-to-day basis I apply salicylic acid to my face, use cleaner, and moisturizer. Twice a day. This is a LOT of stuff I have to put on my face in one given day. I can tell that I am wearing my skin down by applying so much product and I would really like to know a more natural way of keeping my poor skin under control and HOPEFULLY eliminate my acne and blackheads for good! 


Answer:
This is a great question. There are a lot of people who suffer from this issue, myself included. I recently offered some Tea-advice to a friend who was dealing with some uncommon acne - the same rule applies here. 


Salicylic Acid and Soaps
The idea of putting any type of chemical acid on my face worries me considering that I have become increasingly attached to the idea that you should never put something on your skin that you would not put in your mouth. We say this because, simply, whatever is put on your skin is ultimately absorbed by the body so you might as well stick it in your mouth too while you are at it. Ew. Also, we are trained to treat acne topically, assuming it is an external problem. This, truly, is not the case. All skin irritations, cancers, and other blemishes are, at the root, an internal issue. Our diet, the cleanliness of our blood supply, and our emotional/hormonal state that are the culprits. Just to note a doctor who I respect to the end of the world and back:

"Soap removes the protective oil from the skin and upsets the acid-alkaline balance. Only use soap if your skin is really dirty; otherwise, wash with water." - Dr. Christopher

What Are You Eating?
The best thing to do is to take a glance at your diet. What percentage of your foods are live foods? Fresh produce - vegetables and fruit? Versus how much of your food is processed or dead (meat)? Our diets, remarkably, are the key to most any and every illness or ailment we can think up. We very seriously are what we eat - what we put in our bodies becomes the food and fuel for our cells which create every inch and ounce of our bodies. So if we are not eating life or if we are eating an excess of processed junk our bodies will become made up of just that. Beautiful, radiant skin that looks full of life (is firm and youthful) comes from eating live things like plants. This doesn't mean we have to eat raw foods or strictly vegan. It just means that we need to incorporate more delicious fruits and vegetables into our diet and eat less meat dominant meals.


Drink Tea
To supplement a healthy diet, acne/blackhead sufferers should invest in some Red Clover and Burdock herbs or teas. By drinking a red clover tea and then, later in the month, some burdock root tea the body will be able to cleanse its blood supply and push all of the toxins out of the body.

• 1 tbs Red Clover herb in an 8 oz cup of hot water, 3 times a day for a week. (may sweeten with raw honey if desired).
• 1 tbs Burdock root in an 8 oz cup of hot water, 3 times a day for a week. (sweeten with raw honey- trust me).
• Rotate weekly for 3 months.
• You can also use the cooled Red Clover tea as a face wash or in a bath from time to time.

Here is the catch - by drinking the tea and pushing out the toxins you are in for a little surprise. The way the body pushes out toxins is through the skin - your oil glands... so expect more acne. <--- There, I said it. Please don't roll your eyes just yet. Let me explain!!


You know that old adage that says "Things will get worse before they get better?" Yes, well... surprisingly, it's true! Our bodies must experience a "healing crisis" before it can begin to heal itself. Just like when you are sick and have a fever; your fever must reach its peak before the next day when it is nearly gone. So, in this instance, your skin will break out more before it can begin to clear up. This extra breakout is literally the body forcing the toxins out of your body and to the surface. This may be a major bummer, but at the same time, realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that this is the beginning of your body healing itself! It is quite beautiful if you really think about it.


Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun
Your next step is to go out and enjoy the sun shine! Leave your sunblock at home! Be wise in your sunshine time and be sure to bring a lot of water. It is recommended that you start slow if you are a newly minted sunbather- so only a few minutes a day (like 1 minute, I'm not kidding.) If sunbathing is nothing new to you, try sitting in the sun for 5 minutes to start. We are not looking to get a tan here, we are simply looking for some sincere one on one time with Mr. Sun. This means a clean (make-up) free face. For every day after you start this rendezvous with the sun, add a few minutes to your time. Also, be sure to meet with the sun during healthy sun hours - avoid bathing between 11:00AM and 1:00PM. Morning sun is ALWAYS a better recommendation. Set a timer for yourself, we tend to bask in the sunlight and we don't want to overdo it - so set a timer and obey it! 

• New: 1 minute on the first day. Add 2 minutes per day following.
• Experienced: 5 minutes on the first day. Add 5 minutes per day following.

So what does the sun do for you? Well it helps "ripen" you up! Just like a beautiful flower we too need the sun to help us grow. The sun light will help pull the toxins out of your body while the tea is busy pushing them. 

Cosmetics

Remember my whole, "Don't put it on your skin if you won't put it in your mouth"? Well it applies here as well. I recently did some exploring (not being one to dive into make-up much) and I found a few websites that provide natural, mineral cosmetics. I was pretty excited by this, although I know that it isn't very new in the cosmetics world. Right now, through the recommendation of a friend, I am waiting on a few eye shadows and foundation powder from The Body Shop that are mineral based. (They are currently having a wicked sale right now and free shipping-FYI). This make-up will be light and thin... not caky and thick like most products on the market today. It is hard to get by in this society Make-up free, but please try whenever you can. Go for a natural, lighter look instead of the dramatic. Natural beauty is always more desired in the long run... your skin will thank you for it too!! 

Moisturizers

Confession time: I suffer from Psoriasis. Meaning... I get dry patchy blemishes on my skin... all over my body. My scalp is flaky and makes me look like I have dandruff. It can be rather embarrassing. I have had to battle this skin condition since I was 16. My nose and cheeks were the worst in my flare ups. My morning ritual involved facial scrubs to exfoliate my skin and moisturizing my body, head to toe, with a thick lotion from St. Ives. Again, the mantra pops up regarding putting things on my skin and in my mouth. Would I ingest this lotion? Um no. Not willingly. So I made a switch to using carrier oils instead (or massage oil). I use organic sesame oil on my body and a home made organic creme for my face. Since I have dry skin, I could use something like a Shea butter. For oily skin, most won't need a moisturizer especially if they start taking care of their bodies in the ways suggested above. You could also consider using vitamin E oil in your most targeted areas that give you the most trouble. Vitamin E is a beautiful helper for our bodies and keeping our skin in tip-top shape. It is most commonly used for scaring of the skin, but can be used (paired with Aloe) for burns. 

I hope this is a good jumping point for you. Unfortunately there is no over-night fix. As with most holistic remedies, we need to invest time and effort into it and be patient. 

A great online store to consider is Mountain Rose Herbs. They provide organic herbs, butters, and oils in bulk. They are my supplier for most of my products.

Very sincerely yours,

~Birdie

Desert Essences: Photo Group 3

Barrel Cactus Blossoms

Click on the image to see the full size. Check out this beautiful capture!
You can see the pollen attached to the fur of the bee! Amazing!

Another bee... look closely and see his pollen too!

Golden Hedgehog Cholla

I absolutely LOVED photographing her! So radiant! So beautiful!

Don't you just love her?

I fell in love with this color. It is the dried leaves of the Creosote Bush.
Gorgeous! 

~Birdie

Desert Essences: Photo Group 2

Saguaro

 Barrel Cactus

 Creosote Bush

~Birdie

Desert Essences: Photo Group 1

Buckhorn Cholla

 Palo Verde

~Birdie

May Day! Desert Essence Collection

Today I bummed a ride with Beau and his "little brother" who were headed to South Mountain Recreation Park to go hiking. We walked down the road together until we reached their trail head. They took to Alta Trail, I went the opposite direction and headed down Bajada (or something like that) Trail. I had 3 hours to myself to convene with the desert and attempt to collect some flower and cactus essences. At the beginning of the trail I noticed two plants that stood out to me among all the rest. Partly because they were bright in color and partly because there was a flurry of Bee activity around them. I took a few photos and decided, along my hike, that I would be sure to collect from at least these two plants once I found a good spot that had both. 

Such a long, lonely road...

I don't know what this is all about...

It took me a while to get myself in the "here and now" mindset as my head was rattling off all the things I needed to get done in the day: laundry, dishes, eat, man I'm hungry, I should have eaten breakfast before we left, homework, work work, I wonder what Izzie is doing, we need to get some boots for her feet so we can take her on long walks, what was that noise? 

*Focus!!!!!* 

Like I said, it took some time. BUT eventually I let it all go and began to focus on the task at hand. I walked up and down the trail with an open mind and an open heart, looking for what plants spoke to me most. I came around a bend and noticed a beautiful Saguaro cactus. Setting out on this mission this morning, I was determined to collect some cactus essences because, not too long from now, I would no longer have access to their amazing healing and uplifting qualities. This Saguaro, or one of his brothers, was on my list. I then realized... how the heck am I could to get this giant cactus into my little mason jar that is half filled (or half empty) of water?? I took more photos and walked around some more to check out the area. I found two other cactus that I was really drawn to and photographed them as well. Then I set out to collecting the essences.

A fallen Saguaro. The end of an era. So beautiful.

A different angle of the fallen Saguaro.

Buddies.

Starting with the Buckhorn Cholla, I sat down and talked with it for a minute. I explained what my purpose and intent was and asked if the Cholla would be willing to help. I received my "yes" (trust me, I know what a "No" feels like... and I listen intently to those!) and lifted a piece of the Cholla into the glass and let it rest in the water. 

It is in best practice, when collecting anything from plants, to try not to pick or sever the plant. A live plant is always better than a dead one.

I took some notes and sat with the Cholla for a little while. Once I had felt I had gathered all the information I needed or could, I moved on to the next plant, leaving the mason jar with the Cholla to charge in the sun. 

I continued doing this with all 5 plants - 3 cactus, 1 tree, and 1 bush. I took lots of pictures of the area and of the plants and enjoyed listening to the bees busying themselves in the pollen. I used to be terrified of bees... until I began to understand how important they are to our ecosystem. Incredible, incredible little species that the world relies on. Amazing creatures. 

Here are some photos of my morning:

I have so so many photos of this trip, so I am going to split them up by plant in a few more blog posts to follow. In the mean time, some matronly advice - when venturing out into the desert, remember to bring LOTS of water, have a phone on you, hiking shoes, and a nice shade hat!

Happy Essence Harvesting!

~ Birdie

My haul for the day. 5 wonderful essences!