Creative Crayon Creations

Do you enjoy a fun and relaxing craft that is not technical? In other words, how about a "craft" that is pretty foolproof and uncomplicated?

For several years now, one of the fun activities that I enjoy doing with my kids every so often is to create our own color combinations with crayons. It is a pretty simple process and the toughest element is just getting the paper wrappers off the crayons.

It is fun to begin by choosing a few color combinations and if you are using a miniature muffin tin, about three or four crayons per tin will be plenty. Choose your favorite color combos first:

Next: take the time to remove all of the paper wrapper and this is the most time consuming portion of the craft.

Once all the wrappers have been removed, it is great to chop the crayons into tiny pieces so that you can arrange them in the muffin tin for baking/melting. I do recommend to cut the crayons on a paper plate instead of a cutting board because I did permanently destroy a cutting board one time since the wax penetrates pretty deeply.

Once you have the bits of crayons chopped and ready to go in the muffin tin, just gently arrange them and fill the miniature muffin tins to the top with the crayon bits. One hint is that you want to make sure that your final crayons are thick enough that they will not break easily when you are using them to color. Therefore, filling up the muffin tins generously works well.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the lowest setting or 200 degrees. I have found that about 20 minutes is long enough to melt the crayon pieces and then I simply shut off the oven and allow the melted crayons to set. Here they are still warm and not quite finished:

If possible, you can leave the crayons in the oven and just allow them to come to room temperature on their own. If you need the oven, you may gently remove the muffin tin and allow to cool on the counter. Wait a few hours before removing from the tins and they will just slide right out of the mold or muffin tin.
Finished product:

Have fun creating your own unique creations and starting your own DIY crayola tradition!

Safe Sunscreen Tips

What is the most important information to know about Sunscreen Choices and making sure that there is excellent UVA and UVB coverage to protect against skin cancer risk?

Our Lemongrass Spa Sports Stick sunscreen is a physical barrier (reflective) sunblock that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. We also do not use nano-particles. Nano-particles absorb as deeply as the bloodstream and should be avoided! Lemongrass Spa Products never uses nano-particles in any of our products and our entire line is also gluten free and cruelty free.

Your family won’t mind using our Sports Stick with 30 SPF because it does not feel sticky or clog your pores. My favorite way to use our Sunscreen Sports Stick is to apply "cheetah" dots and then rub those in. There are a few things that I adore about this when using on my own skin or on young children: you can literally 'see' what you have covered and what you have missed. I recommend the tinted Sunscreen Sports Stick, as this will warm up to your skin tone and not leave you with the white color from the version without the minerals.
https://www.ourlemongrassspa.com/JILL/shop/PRODUCTDETAIL.aspx?prod=L3343

Tips from my Doctor about the SPF of 15 versus 30:

“The amount of additional UV blocking from 30 over 15 is trivial. In other words, 45 SPF is not 3 times more blocking than 15). I would use at least 15. Two coats is better than one (like painting a house) and reapplication at 3-4 hours is also important no matter what SPF you choose.” Dr. Becky MD

Note: know yourself! I have to re-apply sunscreen every two hours because I am very fair; waiting three to four hours to re-apply would be a disaster for me!

Here is a helpful definition of SPF from a dermatologist pamphlet:
“SPF is a measurement of how long you can stay in the sun with sunscreen before getting burned. Applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, for example, means that it will take 15 times longer for your skin to begin to burn than it would without sunscreen. However, sunscreens should not be used to increase the time you spend in intense sunlight.”

Be sunscreen smart:
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States: An estimated 40 to 50 percent of Americans who live to age sixty-five will get it at least once. Look for full spectrum protection. The safest and most effective sunscreens protect against both UVA and UVB rays and form an actual barrier between your skin and sunlight. Ingredients to look for: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Go for a High SPF: The American Cancer Society recommends a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Higher SPFS offer more protection, but above SPF 30, there’s not much difference.

Most important, coat the skin, or sunscreen isn’t effective—and reapply frequently (especially on the face, shoulders, neck, forearms, hands and feet) as the lotion breaks down in the sun and comes off in the water.” From Healthy Child Healthy World (book) by Christopher Gavigan

Here is another UVA and UVB description from a pamphlet from a Dermatologist Office:
“UVB Rays:
• Penetrate the outer layer of skin, causing damage to skin cells
• Are the primary cause of sunburn
• Can play a part in the formation of skin cancer with frequent or intense
exposure.

UVA Rays:
• Can pass through window glass and penetrate deep into the layers of the skin
• Contribute to premature sins of aging, including fine lines and wrinkles
• Can play a part in the formation of skin cancer with frequent or intense
exposure”

If you use moisturizers and serums, when should you apply sunscreen?

“Which product should I put on my face first? Moisturizer? Sunscreen? Serum?
Answer from Valerie Monroe, Beauty Editor of O Magazine:
“A sunscreen with a physical block like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide can be applied last, after a serum or moisturizer. Apply barrier sunscreens last.”



Copyright 2019: all rights reserved. If you copy and share this post, you must include all information posted here through the full disclaimer (below).

Thank you for "liking" my business page to stay in touch: www.Facebook.com/LemongrassJill
Enjoy perusing my online catalog of healthy head to toe necessities here if you want to learn more about our line: www.OurLemongrassSpa.com/Jill

Disclaimer: this blog post is not to be interpreted or used as medical advice or expertise. I am not a medical expert and I am highlighting or sharing my personal experience in this blog so please know that individual results may vary or differ. If you have a medical condition, please talk to your doctor.

The importance of using Organic Tampons and Pads

One of the things I share in my talk or presentation for women about making ONE healthy change at a time, is how crucial it is to switch to Organic Cotton pads and tampons immediately. I highly recommend that you throw out the conventional ones today. It truly is not worth using the conventional products (full of pesticides and other chemicals) for one more day.

Why Does this Matter?

Cotton is the #1 most sprayed crop and we use more pesticides on cotton than any other crop so we don't want to use cotton that is full of pesticides with our feminine products. I cannot even count how many women have reached out to me after my presentation at their networking group or Mom's group to share that they are no longer experiencing intense cramping, a feeling of nausea or even migraines during their cycle. The change they made was to ditch the chemically-laden feminine products and switch to organic cotton. Now...for some individuals...these symptoms subside as opposed to going completely away, but isn't that worth it as well?

** Let me know if you already knew this information OR if this is news to you by commenting below. Even if you don't use feminine products anymore, please consider sharing this with a woman or teenager in your life that could benefit from this information. **

I often get asked where organic feminine products may be purchased and here is the answer:

* Your local health food store
* Online stores, especially those that are health-minded and offer products that are organic.

The brand that I personally use is NatraCare, but there are other wonderful companies as well.

I would appreciate hearing your comments about whether this information made a difference for you.

Copyright 2019: all rights reserved. If you copy and share this post, you must include all information posted here through the full disclaimer (below).

Thank you for "liking" my business page to stay in touch: www.Facebook.com/LemongrassJill
Enjoy perusing my online catalog of healthy head to toe necessities here if you want to learn more about our line: www.OurLemongrassSpa.com/Jill

Disclaimer: this blog post is not to be interpreted or used as medical advice or expertise. I am not a medical expert and I am highlighting or sharing my personal experience in this blog so please know that individual results may vary or differ. If you have a medical condition, please talk to your doctor.

Simple Self Care Rituals

At a recent pampering evening for women, I was deeply reminded about why I started my Lemongrass Spa journey almost fifteen years ago. The evening was so wonderful, and gave women the opportunity to enjoy a massage, a therapeutic foot soak, an experience to make herbal tea, get a spine assessment and enjoy a hand spa treatment with me. There were also many other opportunities for women to choose from and even though it was a cold and snowy evening, the warmth in the room was palpable.

At the end of the evening, there was one more give-away and Dr. Patti was gathering any ticket stubs from the front area when a mom sat down near me. I asked her if she wanted to enjoy a hand spa treatment and with a contented look on her face, she shared, "Thank you, but I'm really good." I asked her what she had enjoyed that evening and she had taken in the evening fully, experiencing a massage, a foot soak and much more. She shared that this evening was her first evening out since having a newborn and I was absolutely thrilled for her. Moms with small babies find it difficult to step away and take time for themselves, especially if they are on a breastfeeding schedule with their baby. The look of bliss on this mom's face was so wonderful and made me feel so happy for her.

This moment with this mom took me back to my first spa evening in my neighbor's home, where I was the guest and we started the evening with a thirty minute massage, then enjoyed a hand spa and finished with a relaxing foot soak. I was in love with the experience and the idea that, as a busy mom, I could do something like this for myself in my home. It was the start of something much larger for me and in that moment, as I was being poured in to, I realized it had been a very long time since I had truly done anything for myself.

Something consistent I have noticed over the past couple of years is that women want me to explain more and more how to explore a simple self-care ritual in their daily lives. Incorporating self-care in the midst of such a busy world is crucial and I think the simpler the self-care ritual is, the better. Some examples include: a one-minute body polish treatment on our hands, a walk around the block, rubbing peppermint balm on our pressure points, taking a bath, sitting quietly in a cozy chair without any technology interruptions, enjoying a cup of tea or whatever is relaxing and calming for you.

What is your favorite simple self-care ritual?
Do you find ways to incorporate it into your week? If not, imagine yourself putting that self-care time in to your schedule. How would that change your outlook for the day or the week for you?

Copyright 2019: all rights reserved. If you copy and share this post, you must include all information posted here through the full disclaimer (below).

Thank you for "liking" my business page to stay in touch: www.Facebook.com/LemongrassJill
Enjoy perusing my online catalog of healthy head to toe necessities here if you want to learn more about our line: www.OurLemongrassSpa.com/Jill

Disclaimer: this blog post is not to be interpreted or used as medical advice or expertise. I am not a medical expert and I am highlighting or sharing my personal experience in this blog so please know that individual results may vary or differ. If you have a medical condition, please talk to your doctor.