I Am Going To Make It.

Just 6 short days until Christmas. Despite this last week being very busy, with no spare time, I managed to spend just a few minutes a day to decorate the house with Christmas cheer. I am not done yet, but I am no longer stressed. I will have everything ready when my stepson and daughter-in-law arrive later today. Also, my husband’s nephew and his fiancé are coming for dinner and to visit a while. The boys are childhood friends, as well as cousins. I am so looking forward to a festive evening among family.

I have just a little decorating left to do, plus some cleaning and putting the finishing touches on the guest accommodations. The Christmas lights are all put up and the yard art is securely staked to the ground. Last year, I bought this fantastic nativity scene for the front yard. It is a combination of tinsel, fabric and lights on a wire frame. It is pretty elaborate to put together, but it is the most beautiful nativity I have ever seen. Last year was our pound rescue dogs’ first Christmas; puppies in adult bodies. One (or maybe both) of those sweet dogs, thought that nativity was a giant dog toy. Mary was lightly chewed on, but poor baby Jesus did not fare so well. I had to get creative with a wire coat hanger tie straps and some JB Weld (plus some glue and glitter). Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.

I am hopeful this year, that they will remember the berating they received last year and leave everything alone. My yard art is minimal, but this nativity is certainly the focal point. There is only one more piece that I would like to add to the outside decorations, and that is a large Star of Bethlehem for the roof. I have looked for one for the last two years, but I can’t find the one I want with LED lights. Hopefully, I will find one for next year. One of these years I going to decide that I am done climbing on the roof; then I guess I will hire someone to put up our lights. I better keep things simple.

I want to share something with you. People who know me, know that there are several things that I am passionate about. First of all, I am passionate about eating organic and nutritious food. It is a challenge to find a good selection of fresh, affordable fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats. If you want your body to function the way it is supposed to, you have to feed it food that is natural; not sprayed with toxic chemicals, grown in nutrient devoid ground, fertilized with human waste products, processed beyond recognition, and filled with chemical flavorings, colorings, and preservatives. What is done to meat, eggs and dairy is atrocious, too.

I am passionate about having clean drinking water. In most places, tap water is so chemically contaminated that the drinking water report doesn’t tell half of what is actually in the water. That is because regulations for water purity (Safe Drinking Water Act) haven’t been updated since 1974. Therefore, there are a lot of chemicals present today that don’t have to be tested for. And bottled water isn’t much better. We have a water filter on our kitchen sink and our showers.

I am passionate about being environmentally conscious about the waste that I generate. I am an advocate for recycling all things recyclable. For the last 13 years I have been going out of my way to sort and collect paper, plastic, glass, metal and cardboard just to take them to the recycler. Out in the country there is no curbside pickup for recyclable products. But a few months ago, all of the local recycling places have closed. I didn’t find that out until I was trying to drop off my collected stuff. Some of it I had to throw away because I had no room for it. Other things I am still holding onto in the hopes that a new facility will become available. I feel terrible about the amount of things we are sending to the landfill. It is hard to avoid making so much trash. Even some of the fruit comes in plastic containers. And the junk mail is out of control!

Over the last couple of years I have been replacing a lot of the products in my home with homemade (non-toxic) or store bought (less toxic) cleaning and laundry products. It has been difficult to find acceptable replacements for body care products like shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion. It’s easy to assume that products sold commercially are 100 percent safe, but, actually, the EPA does not require that manufacturers test the ingredients in their products to prove that they are safe. Many of the preservatives and foaming agents used are carcinogenic and cause nerve damage (proved by laboratory testing). Finding alternatives to these very important products has been frustrating.

About a month ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a company that makes only certified non-toxic products. I have been using their shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, lip balm, body butter, and laundry detergent for a month now and I absolutely love everything! Not only has my skin and hair shown great improvement, but I actually feel better; I feel like I did 10 years ago. No mood swings or bad menstrual issues, clearer thinking, and I am just happier overall. I am switching my whole family over to these products. The icing on the cake is that these products are super concentrated so they come in smaller bottles, meaning they last a long time with less trash!

Rarely do I find a single product, let alone an entire company that I can endorse, but I am sold on this one, literally. The company is Essante Organics, and I have become a representative for the company. Not only do I have the benefit of providing healthy organic products for myself and my family, but I will also be bringing in extra money on a monthly basis. 2016 is going to be an awesome year with lots of dreams coming into reality, I just know it.

May this next week be an enjoyable one for you, and may you have a very Merry Christmas!

Luke 2:8-12 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”