All of us have some version of a morning caffeinated coffee beverage recipe we love and consume every day.
A new internet whipped and frothy drink sensation, dalgona coffee has been taking over social media platforms, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Easy whipped dalgona coffee isn’t just your typical iced coffee drink.
Coming from South Korea, and named after a famous Korean street candy served on a stick, dalgona coffee uses only three ingredients, equal parts of sugar, instant coffee, and water.
Frothy coffee is nothing new. In Greece, the frappe is the iced coffee of choice. Every culture has its own version of coffee foam.
Dalgona coffee reminds me of my favorite Starbucks drinks, the infamous iced caramel macchiato because of the separation of milk from the espresso coffee.
As I am scooping out the coffee foam on top of my oat milk, I have to remind myself to stop licking the spoon or else I will be drinking just a cup of milk.
The end result of this Instagram worthy creation is a deliciously thick layer of coffee foam resembling the color of toffee and texture of whipped cream.
EASY WHIPPED DALGONA COFFEE RECIPE
Coffee Foam on Steroids
The recipe is so easy to make that you may never use your espresso machine, espresso stovetop maker, or whatever type of equipment you use to make your morning cup of joe or fufu coffee drink of choice.
All jokes aside, I will never give up my espresso stovetop maker, but when it’s too warm to turn the stove on, this frothy iced coffee will be my favorite go-to on a hot and humid summer day.
I wished I would have known about this easy coffee recipe during my travels.
The amount of hotel coffee and failed instant coffee creations had me almost give up my favorite morning beverage and instant coffee snob while on the road.
Not anymore. As long as you have a travel whisk and a collapsible coffee cup, I can have yummy coffee anytime and anywhere whether on the road driving to my next travel destination, during a morning hike overlooking nature landscapes, or in my hotel room and so can you.
It is a Southern favorite combining coffee and chicory. Chicory root is believed to aid in digestion and relieve constipation.
Chicory coffee was widely used during the Great Depression and World War II when coffee was scarce.
Iced Dalgona Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
1-ounce instant coffee
1-ounce white sugar cane
1-ounce water
8-ounce dairy milk or oat milk
Directions
Dump all three ingredients in a bowl. Using a hand whisk or portable whisk, whip until you reach a toffee color and see peaks begin to form similar to whipped cream (5-7 minutes by hand or 2-3 minutes by a battery operated).
When using a battery-operated whisk, avoid ingredients spraying out of the bowl by tilting the bowl sideways, and start on the lowest setting.
Be sure to test your on the lowest setting before putting the whisk in the bowl or you’ll find instant coffee mix on you and your kitchen equipment.
Pour dairy milk, nut milk in a glass (ice optional) and then top with dalgona coffee with half of the mixture if you prefer a slightly sweetened frothy coffee drink.
The rest can be put in a small mason jar or bowl and store in the refrigerator to be enjoyed the next day.
The dalgona coffee like whipped cream will hold shape for 1-2 days, not like you’re going to wait 2 days to enjoy another round of this frothy treat.
Coffee no longer has to be boring. You can enjoy coffee multiple ways based on your mood.
Don’t get caught up in the crossfire of individuals hoarding household disinfectant products at the grocery store and online price gouging during cold and flu seasons, epidemics, and pandemics by making your own DIY natural disinfectant.
Going DIY saves money and is suitable for the environment, which means less time spent buying multiple cleaning products.
Using one to two DIY multi-use cleaning products saves you shelf space and money.
Compared to store brand household cleaners, you know the ingredients in your natural disinfectant cleaner because, well you made it.
While commercial brands provide a list of ingredients on the cleaning products, you would be shocked at how toxic popular cleaners used every day are bad for your health not listed on the label or hidden under the label “fragrance” due to weak regulation of chemicals.
If you’re concerned about some of the commercial products sitting on your shelf, visit the Environmental Working Group’s website and review their Guide to Healthy Living and product ratings.
Avoid the shopping chaos of long lines and empty shelves, during the cold and flu season.
Try this DIY natural disinfectant using two to three ingredients already sitting on a dusty shelf at home begging for some attention consisting of isopropyl alcohol, distilled water, and optional essential oils.
If you don’t have isopropyl alcohol on hand, before reaching for that bottle of vodka or whiskey, check the alcohol percentage.
An alcohol solution of 60% or more is effective against bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Use a funnel to pour equal parts of alcohol and water in a 16-ounce glass spray bottle.
To mask the isopropyl alcohol smell, add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend.
Tea tree is a good one due to antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties has a medicinal smell that isn’t appealing scent wise to everyone, but tea tree essential oil does the job done in the warding off germs.
Why not give an orange and tea tree blend a try?
Disinfecting Essential Oils
Not all essential oils are created equal.
Certain essential oils, especially brands that use synthetic ingredients, can trigger an adverse reaction in the respiratory tract or skin breakouts.
If you or members of your household suffers from asthma, talk to a healthcare professional about the use of essential oils.
Look for 100% pure on the product label that is antiviral and germ-killing or just exclude from the recipe.
Don’t be afraid to contact the company directly and ask for clarication about the product ingredients., especially if the term ‘fragrance’ is listed.
After cleaning, spray the natural disinfectant on countertops, toilet seats, telephones, and doorknobs. No need to wipe.
Be careful where you store isopropyl alcohol as it is highly flammable.
Limit the use to small surfaces and ensure the area is well ventilated by cracking a window.
Additional Alcohol Isopropyl Uses
Another use of alcohol isopropyl is making homemade hand sanitizer. Of course, nothing beats washing for 20 seconds and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to yourself.
I keep a small bottle of sanitizer around for when I am traveling, sightseeing, and using public transportation in places where soap and water aren’t readily available.
Once you start making homemade cleaning products, you will forget about buying store brand products.
Check out my post, GIY House Cleaning Secrets for more tips and ideas on incorporating sustainable green living habits into your daily life.
244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires with no sign of civilization in sight except for nature lovers welcomes one million visitors each year from all over the world to South Dakota’s Badlands National Park.
During one of my mini national parks roadie tour out west last year, my first stop was South Dakota.
Until recently, I wasn’t a fan of visiting North or South Dakota. I was always told the land was flat and there was nothing there.
I only planned on staying for 24 hours to visit Badlands National Park as I did the touristy things years ago, but then as I was talking with locals, something caught my attention on things to do, something caught my attention.
South Dakota has two national parks. Say what? In other words, national memorials Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse are not the only places to visit.
I extended my stay another day and proceeded to map out to see how far away each place of interest was.
I am not a morning person, but I sure get over being tired upon seeing a good sunrise with buttes and spires standing tall as the backdrop.
I recommend you stay in Rapid City. It’s easy to do a loop starting with Badlands National Park around South Dakota to see these places in one day by getting up early in the morning,
Planning Your Visit
Buttes and spires sculpted by rain and erosion create a spectacular scenery of vibrant colors of red and white sandstone.
Weathering and erosion change the shape of stone formations to picturesque visions of multi-colored beauty of jagged rock formations and the variety of wildlife in the Badlands of the Dakotas can be seen to the left and right of you.
As you drive the 60-minute scenic loop (Highway 240 Loop Road), it can be tricky to know if you have arrived at Badlands National Park.
As you near closer to the entrance, your first clue with be cars suddenly pulling over and getting out of their cars.
At first, I thought an accident occurred involving hitting a wild animal. Just the opposite.
Visitors were taking pictures of bison rolling around on the prairie grass unfazed by the attention they were getting.
You can be injured by bison. Enjoy the nature photography moment by keeping a safe distance of 100 years.
The national park is open year-round. The Badlands weather can change within minutes.
Thunderstorms can produce lightning, hail, high winds, and tornadoes.
The summer is hot and dry. Be sure to carry and drink one gallon of water per person and per day.
Entrance fees into the park range from $0 using an interagency senior, annual senior, access, or military pass to $150 for commercial tours.
An annual pass is free for the military for current U.S. military members and dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard as well as Reserve and National Guard members.
The annual pass can be obtained in person by visiting a federal recreation site by showing a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID (Form 1173).
Open year-round, Ben Reifel Visitor Center has several interactive exhibits and a theater that shows a park film. When planning your visit, don’t be afraid to speak with a Ranger about the best trails to hike.
The distinct colors and appearances of the towering spires and flat-topped tables are like looking back in time 28 to 30 million years ago.
Each color of these rock layers is deposited by wind, water, volcanic ash, ancient rivers, and fossils.
Cedar Pass Lodge
Visiting Badlands National Park shouldn’t be rushed.
I spent a couple of hours there. As I drove away to the next point of interest attraction, I quickly realized spending half a day exploring the national park wasn’t enough.
Had I done my research a little more and known that a lodge and restaurant were at this unique destination, I would have adjusted my travel itinerary and stayed overnight at Cedar Pass Lodge.
Thankfully, I know I will be back to visit over and over again.
Hiking in the Park
There are plenty of hiking trails to see native wildlife (black-footed ferret, swift fox, bighorn sheep, bison, prairie dogs) wonderful skyscapes, and learn about the geological and paleontology history of the badlands by attending a Ranger-led program.
Door Trail: .75 miles/1.2 km (round trip)
Window Trail: .25 miles/40 km (round trip)
Notch Trail: 1.5 miles/2.4 km (round trip)
Castle Trail: 10 miles/16 km (round trip)
Cliff Shelf: .5miles/.8 km (round trip)
Saddle Pass: .25 miles/.40 km (round trip)
Medicine Root Loop: 4miles/6.4 km (round trip)
Fossil Exhibit Trail: .25 miles/.40 km (round trip)
Attractions, National & State Parks
Road trips are the best ways to take in the scenery visually and find a greater appreciation for national and state parks.
Immerse yourself by exploring the Black Hills and Badlands nearest attractions, national and state parks:
South Unit (south of Highway 44) of Badlands National Park
Mammoth Site
Wind Cave National Park
Custer State Park
Crazy Horse Memorial
Mount Rushmore
Wounded Knee via Scenic or Kyle
Black Hills National Forest
Minuteman Missle National Historic Site
National Grasslands Visitor Center U.S. Forest Service
Jewel Cave National Memorial
Devils Tower National Park
Once you visit, you will want to come back and explore again and again.
If visiting all 61 national parks is on your bucket list, check out my post on Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Chronic illness is challenging to diagnose due to overlapping symptoms with common chronic conditions like depression, diabetes, a thyroid problem, autoimmune, or celiac disease.
How people treat you based on your chronic illness can make you feel like a loser when trying to describe the physical and mental challenges of what chronic illness feels like invisible to you and others.
Before I was diagnosed with an invisible illness, I was misdiagnosed with depression.
It took nine years, liters of blood being drawn, x-rays, multiple sleep studies, and MRIs to begin to put a name to my symptoms of fatigue, pain, brain fog, and sleep disturbances.
When I received my diagnose of fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome, at first I was relieved.
Just because you can put a name to something doesn’t make the problem go away. Not by a long shot.
Like a blooming onion, it’s the beginning of pulling back the layers to find the underlining causes of how you got there and making the required lifestyle changes to live independent and productive lives.
A chronic illness is a condition lasting longer than six months. Trauma, a car accident or surgery, an injury, environmental factors (if you’re a military veteran reading this, toxic smoke from burn pits), and significant stress can set off chronic illness responses.
Triggers can develop slowly starting with fatigue, followed by chronic fatigue, joint pain, gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hair loss, peripheral neuropathy, and weight gain.
There is no cure. The life I lived before had to change to accommodate this new friend, fibro.
Living with a chronic illness can make you think differently about yourself, eat away at your self-esteem, feel like a total failure, and isolate yourself from others.
You never know when you will feel fine. Friends and family members can grow tired of you constantly canceling plans due to your “invisible illness”.
How Does One Describe Chronic Illness?
I describe my chronic illness as feeling like my nerves are constantly on fire.
The description I give, I find people can understand as we call has experienced the feeling of our feet on fire, but the pain I describe is widespread throughout the body.
Another way to describe chronic illness is with spoons. We all use spoons every day, but what is the connection between spoons and the word “spoonie”?
What Is The Spoonie Theory?
Spoonie theory is a visual way to describe chronic illness and the symptoms associated with it such as pain, fatigue, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome to another person.
Many of these symptoms are “invisible” and can be hard for family, friends, and co-workers to understand what you’re going through because they can’t see fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, lupus, mood disorders, etc. thus the reason for the term “invisible illness”.
Many of these symptoms are “invisible.” It can be hard for family, friends, and co-workers to understand what you’re going through because they can’t see fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, lupus, mood disorders, etc. thus the reason for the term “invisible illness.”
Spoons represent the day to day challenges a chronic illness sufferer faces in trying to complete daily tasks, responsibilities, and activities.
Many of these symptoms are “invisible” and can be hard for family, friends, and co-workers to understand what you’re going through because they can’t see fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, lupus, mood disorders, etc. thus the reason for the term “invisible illness”.
Spoons represent a visual aid to convey to others the day to day challenges a chronic illness sufferer faces in trying to complete daily tasks, responsibilities, and activities.
Understanding The Spoonie Theory
Let’s say you have ten spoons. For each task or activity, a spoon is taken away. Some days you may be able to accomplish more, whereas, on a low energy day, you accomplish less.
The physical challenges accompanied by varying levels of anxiety forces you to break down your day when you are sick.
Making the choice of whether or not to accomplish your to-do list. Perhaps you don’t have enough energy to take a shower, do your hair, cook a meal, clean your house.
It doesn’t make you less of a person, or a loser, it means you just have to think about things differently and slooow down.
The spoonie theory can help you to understand your chronic illness, how to accept the reality you can’t do everything, the need to pace yourself and attack one thing one day versus multiple things at once.
Spoons Help Illustrate How Your Days Go
Learning how to delegate tasks like going to the grocery store, mowing the lawn, or plowing your driveway to someone else through an online service is the difference between having a spoon in reserve for daily self-care and doing too much.
The frustration of not being able to do simple tasks that others can so easily further helped me to explain my condition to others, my doctors.
By developing self-awareness of chronic conditions you have, what causes triggers or helps manage widespread symptoms can result in receiving a customized conventional and alternative treatment plan versus playing the treatment guessing game.
I am a fan of liquid soap. It’s easy and convenient to use, but after putting the bar of soap to the test, today’s soaps not only last longer but a bar of soap has far more penny-saving uses compared to store brand liquid soap.
A few years ago, a bar of soap got a bad rap and for good reason. Whatever was in commercial brand soaps, they not only stripped the skin, but many complained about flare-ups and irritations leading to perceptions that soap caused bad skin.
I experienced this, but when I would travel (this was before the explosion of globalization) and buy artisan soaps, I had no way of stopping in a store to buy them or find a website to order from.
Fast forward and artisan soaps have made a comeback and can be found anywhere.
The amount of drip and excess leftover from the liquid pump I find on my countertops or in the sink is like hard-earned money washing down the drain.
For the cost of one container of liquid soap, learning how to make liquid soap and body wash from bar soap, on top of four other bar of soap uses for pennies on the dollar, you will think twice about rebuying store brand liquid soap.
Here are five cool ideas on how to use bars of soaps that are not just for the shower or sinks.
5 USES FOR A BAR OF SOAP
5 Uses For a Bar of Soap
1. Fresh Smelling Clothes, Shoes, Suitcases, and Cars
Instead of buying scented drawer liners, take those bars of soap sitting in the storage box, add your favorite scent to the dresser drawer, lingerie drawer, boot or shoe boxes, and in your suitcase to give a little freshness.
I leave the wrapper on and just slip a couple in between my clothes.
When getting ready for a trip, do you stock up on travel-sized products?
Got a favorite scent you love to use at home and want to take it with you for your upcoming one week vacation, but the bar of soap that is too big for your travel soap container?
Skip buying the travel soap and simply cut a bar of soap in half or in thirds if you buy large or oversized soaps.
3. Homemade Liquid Soap and Creamy Body Wash
Using a hand grater with large holes (cheese grater in the kitchen pantry works), grate one bar or four ounces of soap.
Add the grated soap to four cups of boiling water. Stir until fully dissolved.
Allow the mixture to cool, pour into a liquid soap dispenser.
Now going DIY doesn’t mean you have to give up body wash.
Follow along with this video to learn how to make homemade creamy body wash.
4. Shave With It
Give your body some love with dollars and sense. Pick soap that moisturizes and does not strip your body’s natural moisture.
Beekman 1802’s soaps are one of my favorites as each bar is made using goat milk. No, the soaps don’t smell like goat cheese.
The lather is not drying or stripping on the face or body as goat milk has the same PH balance as the human body. You will notice the difference after one use.
I have noticed that I use less lotion to moisturize due to these milk rich bars of hydration.
Their nine-ounce bars are perfect for cutting in thirds into travel soap.
Once you try one of these soaps and experience how your skin feels, you will never go back to cheap and easy bar soap treating your shower or bath as a chore.
First, prep your skin with coconut oil, lather up with soap.
I use a men’s shaving brush to lather. Doing it this way, you end up using less soap versus using your hands.
Since my hair is coarse, I use, yes a men’s Schick Hydro razor and replace the blade once a month.
Compared to women’s razor blades that go dull and needing replacement every week, I’m saving mucho dinero.
Now I’m not saying that you start stealing your significant other’s shaving brush.
A shaving brush is not that expensive.
You can find one for less than $20 like the one I purchased from The Body Shop or invest a little more into a shaving set with a lathering bowl, stand, and shaving brush.
Use a small jelly mason jar or a container with a lid to transfer a small amount of shaving cream from your large container.
Your homemade creamy body wash will last many months-long than a can of $3 shaving cream.
Your legs will be feeling silky smooth from the coconut oil. You may be able to forgo moisturizer after a shower or bath.
Instead of going to a storefront and paying full price, I get Beekman 1802 soaps for half the cost by shopping on QVC.
I love shopping online, easy pay, and free shipping.
5. Uses For Bar Soap Pieces
As the bar of soap becomes smaller, don’t throw that little piece away.
Either add it to the soap replacement or keep a small piece in your sewing kit to mark hems and lines and sew with it.
Other Surprising Uses For Soap
Homemade laundry detergent
Silence squeaky door hinges
Fill in nail holes from hanging up artwork on the wall
Toothpaste
Putting some soap under the nails before working in the garden prevents dirt from getting in your nails and keeps nails clean
Lubricate screws for woodworking projects
Unstick a sliding door
Relieve itchy bug bites
Stay Away From Parabens and Additives
When it comes to selecting bars of soap, avoid brands that contain chemical substances like parabens, phosphates, and additives.
Mineral oil and petroleum-based chemicals dry out your skin which makes you use more products. Cheap and easy doesn’t mean good quality.
What do I mean? Take the soap you use to wash your hands, for the bath or shower and create a lather.
The big stiff rainbow colors in your soap may look pretty. This isn’t a scene out of The Wizard of Oz.
The water puddle under your car you drove over out of your driveway this morning is the same puddle from the gas station of leaking oil.
What is it you ask that is in that puddle of water?
Petrochemical by-products, a nasty chemical that is used in soaps and body cleansers which in fact strip away moisture from your body.
That is one of the reasons soap has gotten a bad rap and consumers switched to body wash.
What consumers don’t know is the same cheap ingredients like petrochemicals are being used in the body cleansers as well.
Bar of Soap vs Body Wash
I am not saying you have to give up liquid soap. My favorite liquid castile soap is Dr. Bronner’s peppermint and almond scents.
I like Dr. Bronner’s castille soaps because they’re multi-use. I use it for shaving, but the major use is making homemade housecleaning products.
If you’re looking for more creative homemade product ideas, GIY housecleaning products is another way to reduce exposure to nasty chemicals, save money, and go green.
Doing a cost comparison will help you decide which is more economical to buy store brand body wash and liquid soap, or put bars of soap sitting around in your pantry to use and spend a few minutes making these products yourself.
One bar of Dove or Dr. Bronner’s castille soap is less than $3.
A 16-ounce bottle of body wash ranges from $3-4.
Going DIY will cost you less than $.50 for a 16-ounce bottle of homemade body wash.
The creamy body wash recipe makes 49-ounces of body wash which comes out to less than $1.50.
Artisan soaps might be a little pricey, but the soaps I buy last a long time like a couple of months because of the density of the soap from being triple milled.
Buying a 7-9 ounce bar of soap for under $18 that makes 49-ounces of creamy body wash compared to buying a 33-ounce of body wash at $73.
Feel free to test the bar of soap vs body wash theory for yourself and then answer this question.
Do you really want to shower or bath with nasty chemicals like petro waste products on your face and body? Umm ew.
Say no to toxic chemicals and join the clean beauty movement by embracing natural ingredients that are good for the skin and body.
Do you wake up stiff and sore every day, the kind of achiness that knocks you out for days? Experience restless legs at night after working out?
Chances are, your body is trying to tell you that it is running on empty and needs replenishment of magnesium.
I have a natural pain relief solution for you called magnesium oil that will relieve muscle tension, help you sleep better at night, and boost your mood.
In this article, I will share with you the best natural pain relief and anti-inflammatory supplement you add to your daily routine for managing chronic pain.
MAGNESIUM OIL: NATURAL PAIN RELIEF
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
With the depletion of minerals like magnesium and nitrogen from the soil due to mass farming production, the use of pesticides, and how far produce has to travel, the fruits and vegetables we eat every day have less nutritional value resulting in the poor mineral intake of magnesium and poor soils.
The majority of us have low magnesium levels. Here are 10 signs of magnesium deficiency:
fatigue
headaches/migraines
muscle pain (feeling of pins and needles)
foot cramps, tingling, and numbness
dizziness/vertigo
irregular heartbeat
restless legs
sleep problems/insomnia
changes in mood (becoming easily agitated)
constipation/irritable bowel syndrome
Magnesium is an important mineral for the human body. The nutrient plays a role in bone health and preventing osteoporosis in women by regulating calcium and vitamin D levels, maintaining a healthy immune system and muscles, preventing, reducing, and ridding of migraine headaches, and lowering anxiety levels.
Transdermal Magnesium Absorption
The best way to absorb magnesium is through the skin. Soaking your feet and body in an Epsom salt aka magnesium sulfate bath for 20 minutes is a quick way to increase your magnesium levels.
Magnesium sulfate removes toxins from the body, relaxes sore muscles and reduces pain. Epsom salt foot soaks assists in helping to relieve swelling and pain from plantar fasciitis and reduce foot odor.
Another option for quick absorption of magnesium through the skin is making your own homemade magnesium oil.
The process is quick and easy and involves two ingredients: filtered water and magnesium flakes.
Homemade Magnesium Oil Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup filtered water
1 cup magnesium sulfate or magnesium flakes
Directions
Boil one cup of water. Add one cup of magnesium flakes or Epsom salts to a glass bowl. Pour the water into the bowl and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool. Pour the cooled mixture into a glass spray bottle. The remaining mixture can be stored in a mason jar.
Some magnesium oil users like to use magnesium flakes complaining Epsom salts are too drying for the skin. I haven’t experienced issues with my skin drying out.
I use Epsom salts to do daily soaks and make a body scrub. Another option for transdermal magnesium absorption is to make homemade magnesium lotion.
I like this option when I am short on time and don’t feel like sitting in a warm bath for 20-minutes every day on a hot day.
Instead, I do magnesium oil spot treatments, focusing on specific areas of the body from muscle overuse like my lower back, knees, ankles, neck, hands, and wrists.
When spraying areas of the body, make sure you put a towel underneath you. As the mixture dries, the magnesium crystalizes can leave a salty mess.
I leave the magnesium oil on for 20-minutes and wipe off with a wet washcloth with no soap.
Before going to bed, I moisturize with body lotion or cream (depending on the time of year) to mix with the magnesium residue leftover on the skin.
Over time, you may notice daily Epsom salt bath and foot soaks turn into weekly treatments from the natural pain relief results from your nightly routine of magnesium oil spot treatments.
Magnesium Oil Benefits
I wake up with fewer aches and pains. Lately, I have been having issues with chronic headaches indicating to me that my neck was too tight. I wake up every day with a slight headache.
Along with the headaches, my hands and wrists have been taking a beating from too much work on the keyboard and data entry.
As I have used the natural pain relief mixture every night, I have noticed my grip strength has improved and I have experienced fewer headaches.
Not sure if this is due to spraying my neck or adding a little magnesium oil to my night serum before I go to bed or both.
Perhaps the higher concentration of magnesium in a spray compared to an Epsom salt bath and foot soak might be the reason for expedited pain relief.
What I do know is my skin looks amazing in the morning, refreshed, and feels silky smooth.
Liquid Magnesium with Trace Minerals
If you have teeth sensitivities, adding liquid magnesium with trace minerals to your water or lemonade can help remineralize your teeth, increase saliva production, and help with building back up strong and healthy teeth.
I like to add lemon crystals to my water before adding 12 drops of magnesium liquid. Who doesn’t want to good oral health?
Always Consult a Health Professional
If you are taking prescription medication or antibiotics, supplementing magnesium may interact with them causing low blood pressure.
Consult your doctor before taking any supplements or discontinuing any prescribed medication.
To wear a cloth mask or not to wear a cloth mask? That is the question plaguing many of us.
Seeing regions around the world like Asia and Europe wearing face masks, if you’re like me, you’re asking, “how do I do my bit to protect others?”
Should we all practice respiratory protection by wearing face coverings in public?
In this DIY no-sew cloth mask article, I will share a few recommendations the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently put out regarding the use of face coverings and considerations when going outside.
Lastly, I will share a tutorial on how simple and easy it is to make a homemade face-mask in less than one minute using just two items sitting around the house.
The CDC recently recommended the wearing of cloth face masks in public, not N-95 masks.
N-95 masks should be reserved for healthcare professionals at the frontlines battling COVID-19.
There is a considerable shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment), surgical masks, gloves, and gowns so much that healthcare workers may have to go against what they learned at medical school and re-use face masks if they don’t receive resupply soon.
N-95 masks were never made to be re-used, but to be disposed of to prevent the spreading of germs after seeing a patient.
The practice of re-using masks not only puts healthcare workers at risk for contracting the virus but unknowingly spreading the virus to patients.
If you have a stash of N-95 masks, practice global citizenship, and donate them to your local hospital.
You can visit your state’s emergency management website for locations and drop-off times.
These front line healthcare workers are caregivers not only for the public, but also their families (spouses, parents, and children).
For more detailed information from the CDC, please visit their website here.
To Wear a Face Mask or Not to Wear a Face Mask?
So what does the germ mask face-covering recommendation mean to you? Should you wear a face-cover in public? Is this a conspiracy theory?
For weeks, I struggled with answering this question until I watched a couple of online town halls and listened to the medical experts give a different point of view that made sense.
Both the World Health Organization (WHO), CDC, and various countries around the world have made a complete U-turn about the use of cloth masks in the community.
Growing evidence has shown that some individuals infected with the coronavirus may not show symptoms and can unknowingly infect others.
Hong Kong, not a newbie virus outbreaks, lived through SARS in 2003. Wearing a mask in public is normal in Hong Kong.
If a person is ill or has allergies, its customary and respectful to wear a mask.
For many of us, this is a weird new normal. We have to do our best to get through this temporary inconvenience one day at a time with calm and patience.
Seeing the speed at which the coronavirus has spread around the world and the devastation left behind after the COVID-19 tsunami is enough to know staying at home and practicing social distancing can stop the spread and save lives.
That is easier said than done. Many of us still have to go to work, attend doctor’s appointments, and run errands outside and find it challenging to practice social distancing, but that doesn’t mean our current environment is not adaptable.
Protect the Vulnerable & Prevent the Exposure
I have an elderly parent with asthma, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
She is tech-savvy enough to order groceries online and have them delivered.
A social butterfly who loves to chat away with the shoppers, I don’t think I will ever get her to stop socializing and being friendly (and why would I want to), but she knows she can help herself and those who show up at her front door by wearing a face mask.
While the CDC recommends Americans wear a face cover in public, it is voluntary.
Medical professionals are learning that individuals who get COVID-19 may not show typical virus symptoms.
According to the CDC, 25% of Americans (one in four) have COVID-19 and don’t know it.
Ways to get the virus is being near someone who is coughing, sneezing, or breathing.
Let me ask you this. Do you know 100% if you have COVID-19, have been exposed, or unknowingly bringing the disease into your community?
Are you exhibiting symptoms, but due to test shortages, availability, and age, can’t get tested to confirm if you indeed have the coronavirus?
If you’re sick, taking care of someone, or asymptomatic (someone who is infected by the disease, but doesn’t show symptoms) wearing a face covering can mitigate transmitting the virus without knowing a person is spreading the virus.
In other words, keep your droplets to yourself.
When it comes to the coronavirus, “what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.”
DIY Face Mask at Home
If you’re trying to get your hands on homemade face masks from online shops, prices can vary from $5 to over $20.
Some shops are so behind in taking and processing orders that it can take weeks to receive a mask.
What’s a person to do? Go DIY and make a cloth mask!
Using items around your home, a cotton bandana, scarf, dish towel, or t-shirt, and a couple of hair binders, you can make a homemade face mask faster than ordering a mask online in less than one minute.
My homemade cloth mask
If you’re like me, you have some of these things collecting dust somewhere.
Hair binders can be substituted with rubber bands.
The next time you buy groceries, ask for a couple of rubber bands at the check out counter or save the rubber bands from grocery delivery produce like asparagus.
I found a two-minute video online and decided to give the hack a try by repurposing a bandanna I bought when I visited one of the Galapagos Islands, San Cristobal, a couple of years ago I have never worn.
A homemade mask can be a temporary solution until your online cloth mask order from Etsy arrives.
Check out this video from the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams on how to make your own face covering.
Of course, if you don’t like the thought of using a dish towel, bandanna, or t-shirt to make a face covering or feel like it’s too bulky, you can learn how to make an improvised paper towel mask.
Click here to view the one-minute tutorial from Esco Life Science.
If you’re looking for ways to help healthcare workers, own a sewing machine, and are into arts and crafts, check out my post, DIY Face Masks For Healthcare Workers.
Keep your friends and family safe with social distancing and wash your hands for 20 seconds. Eat healthily to boost your immune system.
While we are doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the vulnerable by staying home, as human beings, staying active physically and socially is our unbreakable lifeline.
Social distancing can make you feel isolated and depressed. Staying home doesn’t mean you have to stay glued to the tv waiting for the top of the hour update of the total cases and deaths of global citizens or where the next hot spot is in the world.
Staying at home can present a new career and hobby opportunity that you didn’t realize due to daily routines commuting back and forth from home to work, working long hours, and family obligations.
Here are five fun things and activities to do when you’re bored at home during self-isolation.
You’ve heard about shortages of surgical masks for healthcare workers. If you’re good with a sewing machine, have unused fabric, and elastic lying around collecting dust, you may be surprised that at times of crisis is when innovation creativity is born courtesy of small businesses.
If you have thought about running a side hustle while still working at your day job, starting a side hustle business online store selling homemade items can be up in running in a matter of hours.
Making and selling washable cloth face masks on Etsy is a great side hustle and a way to help reduce anxiety levels and give people a small piece of mind when individuals step outside of their homes to buy groceries, attend medical appointments, pick up prescription medications, or to wear when sick or around sick people.
If you have an interest in cooking, traveling, health and wellness, or photography, why not share your tips and ideas with others by starting a weekly or monthly blog?
Starting a blog isn’t time consuming or expensive. Taking a beginner blogging or social media course online for Pinterest saves time, spending hours online reading multiple blogs, and watching YouTube tutorials.
Learn how to build an eye-catching website and ways to leverage your current social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to generate interest and increase traffic to your blog.
Let’s get real. Store shelves are running bare due to hoarding and uncertainty.
Who knows when stores will be able to restock the shelves 100%. One of the items flying off the shelves? Household cleaning products, many of which are toxic.
Save a trip to the store by using products in your kitchen, baking soda, Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, white distilled vinegar, isopropyl alcohol, and essential oils.
In less than five minutes you can have a bottle of soft scrub, all-purpose cleaner, and disinfecting wipes.
Check out my two-part post, GIY House Cleaning Secrets on the benefits of going green and five recipes you can make today.
3.Reduce Stress &Rebalance the Body
Got any physical ailments like shoulder, neck, and back pain nagging at you? Relive pain, boost energy, and improve sleep in less than 15 minutes a day through Classical Stretch by Essentrics using tai chi, ballet, and physiotherapy techniques to strengthen and stretch the whole body to live pain-free.
Below is one of my favorite mini stretch workouts I do at the end of the day after staring at a computer all day. Give the exercise the 15-minute workout a try.
4.Master Basic Cooking Skills
Do you have aspirations of becoming a better cook, but haven’t had the time to dive into the many cookbooks you’ve collected over the years?
While ordering takeout saves time spent in the kitchen, you don’t know how long the stay at home order is going to last.
Making homemade meals is one way to be creative and spend time bonding with family members in the kitchen.
I recently learned how to make Martha Stewart’s simple hollandaise sauce in less than two minutes using a blender.
To think it took hours to make. Asparagus will never be eaten without this velvety sauce drizzled on top. What took me so long to learn?
One of the benefits of living in the digital age is being able to order groceries online, have them delivered to your front door, avoiding fistfights over eggs and toilet paper.
A lot of well-known chefs like Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, and Emerald Lagasse have YouTube channels sharing with us busy folks delicious 15-30 minute meals simplified.
Check out this quick beef stroganoff recipe.
5. Laugh & Dance Away the Anxiety
While COVID 19 has a fatality rate of 1%, stress is a bigger killer.
The pandemic won’t last forever. The coronavirus will return to the place it came from wherever it came from, hibernate under a rock until the next outbreak or pandemic.
Give yourself permission to take a few minutes out of your day to get geeked out on YouTube parodies about the virus-like My Carona, Do Rei Mi – COVID19 Version, and my favorite Virus Baby, an eyebrow dancing parody version of Ice, Ice, Baby by Vanilla Ice, or Randy Rainbow.
Are you missing your friends? Resist the temptation to have an epic in-person mass gathering.
See your friends online instead of engaging in some group therapy with a weekly dance party on YouTube.
Group chats make you feel less alone, allowing you to connect with people around the world sharing in the love of music.
Remember, dancing your bum is a form of exercise.
Below are my favorite 24/7 live electronic dance music (EDM) channels:
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of the most visited national parks for good reason. Hiking trails, waterfalls, vast and vibrant fall colors, and rugged sandstone cliffs shaped by the last Ice Age.
Situated between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley National Park contains 33,000 acres of the natural landscape to view wildlife and wetlands is best explored by renting a bicycle, strolling the Towpath Trail, or by riding the rails of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
The national park entrance isn’t a typical one like the other national parks. There is no entrance fee, but there is a sign letting you know you are entering Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but no ranger to great you or hand you a map.
You would expect the visitor center, Boston Store Visitor Center to appear less than a mile later, but you have to drive a few more miles through town to reach it.
BEST NATIONAL PARK TRIPS: CUYAHOGA VALLEY
A National Park for All People
Just like Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, private homes are situated within its boundaries.
It’s confusing to get around. I literally drove through the national park without knowing it trying to find the Boston Store Visitor Center.
The places of interest are well hidden in the surrounding forests giving the impression of large acres of land waiting to be developed.
Major highways 271 and 80 cross paths over the national park.
Most people have never heard of this national park to include me.
I only came across it as I looked up a list of national parks to explore on my way to Niagara Falls State Park in New York.
This metropolitan national park an easily be enjoyed by people living nearby.
Hiking and Trails
Serenity and solitude are easy to experience as there isn’t a lot of foot traffic visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Glacier National Parks with the exception of a group of students from nearby schools.
I saw residents walking around on the many nature trails. It must be nice to have a national park in your back yard!
The attractions are separated by drives through busy roads and the signage is difficult to find in some areas.
I recommend stopping at the Boston Store Visitor Center first to get a map or else you will be driving along busy roads and miss the nearby attractions.
The main visitor center is poorly marked. You may find yourself driving around town forever trying to find it. Not like that is a bad thing because the area is beautiful and quaint.
Avoid going on a wild goose chase to find the visitor center by plugging in the address in your GPS navigation device before departing for the Cuyahoga Valley:
Boston Store Visitor Center
6947 Riverview Road
Peninsula, Ohio 44264
(41° 15’45.3″ N) (81° 33’37.3″ W)
Phone: (330) 657-2752
You will have plenty of time to spend the day hiking, kayaking, and picnicking.
Places to Visit
1. Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Falls envelopes a calming, relaxing, and reflective atmosphere for nature lovers. The falls is best viewed in the fall as it is surrounded by colorful autumn leaves.
If you’re into nature and landscape photography like I am, the falls will be a fun subject to photograph.
Backdrops of colorful autumn leaves surrounding it as the water falls into a natural pool along Brandywine Creek await your camera.
While the fall colors were peaking in my home base of Minnesota in September, not so much here. I arrived way too early.
Be sure to check the fall foliage forecast when planning a trip out to Cuyahoga Valley.
2. The Ledges
On the way to view Brandywine Falls is a 2.2-mile hike of sandstone cliffs shaped by seas, glaciers, and rivers, layers of sedimentary rock the Ledges Trail leads you back in time to the Ice Aged with the geological remnants of the rugged landscape and carved topography.
3. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Train Ride
Spend a day or a few hours traveling through Cuyahoga Valley National Park from September to November to view wildlife and scenery.
The train cars are climate-controlled perfect for those warm and hot summer days.
Cost is $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 3-12.
The trains run from September to October, Wednesdays through Sunday, and weekends in November.
4. Beaver Marsh
Enjoy being serenaded by countless frogs and bird watching. Watch beavers swim in their natural habit while turtles swim between the numerous lily pads in the marshland.
Spring, summer, fall, and winter offers the opportunity to observe wildlife (wood ducks, muskrats, songbirds, bullfrogs, and white-throated sparrows throughout the year.
5. Blue Hen Falls
One of the prettiest waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and favorites among visitors, Blue Hen Falls is an experience of a lifetime to stand below the falls as the water rushed over and hear the falls singing.
6. Fall Ranger-Led Programs
From early September to mid-November, join rangers on various trails for bird walks, early evening hikes, full moon walks, hiking hills to get your heart rate pumping or take paths less traveled and explore beyond the trails at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Volunteer with park staff with preserving trails, natural habitat in restoring Cuyahoga Valley National Park habitat with invasive plant removals, native planting, and native seed collection
You can easily spend one to two days at Cuyahoga Park. The national park is perfectly situated for day trips to Niagara Falls USA, New York City, Indiana Sand Dunes National Lakeshore, and satisfy your travel foodie urges with a trip to Chicago’s French Market.
Let’s talk about poop, bowel habits, and how organic psyllium husk can help irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) sufferers get relief from cramping, bloating, gas, and go, uh number two.
One of the irritable syndrome causes is insufficient fiber in our diets. The effects of low fiber are poor digestion and constipation.
How does one know if they are constipated?
Magazine collection in the bathroom, games on the smartphone, side bends on the toilet in an attempt to move things along for that anticipated bowel movement sound familiar?
Constipation and diarrhea often occur together. One minute you can’t go and the next time, you’re pushing everyone out of the way to make a straight beeline to the bathroom.
I hate to break to you. You’re likely constipated.
The majority of the population needs a fiber supplement to increase their daily intake.
While many whole grains (barley, oatmeal, whole wheat, popcorn, brown and wild rice) are a good source of dietary fiber, most refined grains in which the nutritious part of the whole grains, the bran, and germ have been removed in favor of longer shelf life over nutrition contain very little fiber.
According to the American Heart Association, the FDA recommends consuming 25 grams of fiber each day for a 2,000 calorie diet.
Psyllium husk powder is an all-natural soluble fiber supplement made from the Plantago ovata plant.
It is used in over the counter commercial products like Metamucil, Cilium, and Fiberall as a laxative and bulk-forming agent.
The soluble fiber makes bowel movements easier by soaking up water. When added to water, psyllium husk powder puffs up and turns gel-like.
If you have ever added powder and forgot about it, the mass looks like something out of the movie, The Blob.
That gel-like mass is what slows down digestion and helps to move things along.
Popular brands on the market contain a flavoring agent that may not sit well with individuals sensitive to food additives and may increase IBS symptoms.
A generic brand I used had orange flavoring that made my stomach puff up like a blueberry.
At first, I thought I was experiencing an allergic reaction, but it was the artificial sugar that my gut wasn’t agreeing with.
Luckily I found a pound of organic psyllium husk on Nuts.com. It can be a little gritty if not mixed well.
If you’re not a fan of texture, getting psyllium husk down can be a challenge.
It is flavorless so I am not sure why artificial flavoring is added to over the counter commercial brands.
Buying organic psyllium husk contains no additives. You control what kind of sweetener or liquid goes in it and how much.
Simply add one tablespoon to your morning orange juice, lemonade or iced tea. Stir and drink immediately.
I like to make a pitcher of iced tea during the week to get my daily dose of fiber.
Health Benefits of Psyllium Husk
Heart Health
Because psyllium husk is a natural medicine for irritable bowel syndrome, in addition to improving IBS symptoms, constipation, and diarrhea, increasing fiber intake helps to lower LDL cholesterol.
Psyllium husk powder promotes heart health by lowering cholesterol levels. Combined with a healthy diet, it can reduce people’s risk of heart disease.
Promotes Regularity
People with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome are all too familiar with one or all symptoms of cramping, abdominal pain, bloating and gas, constipation, diarrhea or both.
It is typically mixed with water. The water soaks up the powder in your gut to help improve regularity by softening your stool.
Weight Management
Because psyllium husk absorbs liquid, it can promote a feeling of fullness and less hunger in between meals.
If you’re a diabetic, adding psyllium husk to smoothies and bread recipes as an additional source of fiber is great for digestions, controlling blood sugar levels, and can help with weight control.
Instead of using cracker crumbs or bread crumbs in meatloaf, substitute with psyllium husk.
Make Sure to Drink Enough Water
If you have never taken psyllium husk before, the intestinal bulk can initially cause constipation, stomach pain, and gas.
Any matcha green tea or tea lemonade fans out there? Add a tablespoon to your favorite DIY drink, coconut water, or morning smoothie to thicken it and make it easy to consume every day.
Make sure to drink enough water when consuming the powder to avoid a psyllium husk blockage.
