Buses, Babies and new Beginnings!

Greetings Friends and family!
 Man, it's been a while since I've been over here... I've created a few more blogs and traveled a few thousand more miles since my last entry... The latest adventure is a giant step to self sustainable living for me and my three sons, one I feel could be the biggest we could take as a family. I want to live more of what I teach/share and go totally off grid; this first step, is a bus!
So I started a Go Fund me to move me some energy! (see below)
Too many humans are suffering with lack and illness, I feel so strongly in my heart if we ban together, as One, we could be so much more strong and healthy! THIS is the mission that I move forward with my travels and now, craft. I became a Massage Therapist while I was away! Oh the mysterious wonders of Thai yoga massage and the reflex arc! I learned so much about Ayurvedic medicines and principles as well as how this magical machine called the human body portrays our every vibe; emotional, mental as well as spiritual. I'm in awe and wonder every time I am blessed with a client! My practice is growing, and the reach is expanding. Being able to travel, have space for ALL of my children AND be off grid at the same time. Perfection!
So, I wanted to share with my friends over here and promise to bring you more Green Travelin yummies in the future, like dreadie care. Yep, I locked it up. ;) Almost two years now. We will get some updates on those hair care sections! Dread Heads, Shampoo Sorrows and Lab Rats! was my last one.
 Onward and upward!
Second star to the right!!
 Here is the description on the Go Fund me page. Feel free to leave feedback!
" I feel this is my opportunity to provide a more restful space for my sons and I while I offer my mission to humanity. Right now I am traveling with my youngest son and pray to add his older brothers soon and the expanded space of a skoolie (fully converted school bus) would really help move this hope to very do-able. We travel around the state (hopefully further with this gem!) and I offer my services as an LMT, energy worker,inspirational speaker and homesteader; I come to set the children free with knowledge and power! I feel very passionate about keeping my little sprout close to me while I offer my services to humanity, and that passion overflows to all parents who must work to provide. Too many American families are split up daily, just to survive, we were. My goals are to save up for land, so we can provide a space for struggling parents to find support and education as to how we execute a return to the land, and the raising of the sprouts. Until then Raven and I will continue spreading our Love and light through our traveling ministry and hopefully, with a little help from our friends, we can do this with our family intact. What better way to help raise up the One Family? Love, Alice and Raven"

UPDATE!!

After letting this kickstarter slide by with no response back in April, I decided to just let it be. The moon was in a Full moon Eclipse in Libra back then....
May sees  a  friend of mine finding a bus in a town local and so, we emailed...
June, we moved on to the bus (Forever known as Falcor!) and celebrated the friday 13th full moon under the sky with fire and friends and music...
yesterday, after being on the bus for a week, I realized..... we are on the SAME BUS as the kickstarter!
Dreams really due come true!!!!
Click here to read our Never Ending Story Bus adventures!
Thank you , Thank you, Thank you! JAi Jai Ganesh, Thank you!!!

Kombucha: Benefits and Precautions.

With so many of my friends, and friends friends obtaining the miracle "mushroom"
(which is really a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria + Yeast or SCOBY) Kombucha, I wanted to share some of the information I have on the subject.

Implementing simple safety tips can prevent one from getting pretty ill as the Kombucha is
a powerful medicine and it can be very easy to be fooled by it's gentle appearance and
pleasant taste, after all, its tea right?

One of the largest health benefits to the Kombucha drink is its detoxifying properties. More specifically the detoxifying acids that work directly on the liver. The liver is the second largest organ in the body and has over 100 functions, including a filter for all the toxins we come into contact with and consume on a daily basis. The healing acidic properties of the Kombucha help us to release those toxins built up in the liver and can have a dramatic, positive effect on our health. From immune system strengthening to arthritis! But wait, if those toxins are being released...where are they going? Well, if we are hydrated enough (which, lets face it, most of us aren't) The toxins will be released into the urine and stool. If we are not hydrated they will be released directly into the blood stream.

1.Pregnant mommas who are not used to drinking the Kombucha beverage should refrain as there is an opportunity for the toxins to cross over the placenta and thus to baby.

2. Nursing mothers should use extreme caution when beginning the Kombucha drink and begin by consuming small amounts as a major detox could taint the milk.

3. Drinking more than 8 oz a day could actually cause one to feel poorly and is not recommended. This blog on one woman's experience with detox illness may help explain.
http://www.kombuchagirl.blogspot.com/

Brewing Precautions:

Of Oxygen and Moldy things.

Did you know, that if your lovely culture does not get enough oxygen while brewing you can
actually create ACETONE? "This toxic compound is grouped among molecules referred to as
ketone bodies and will harm the kidneys." (1)

That's right ladies, the same nasty stuff the nail salons use to remove your polish! And of course, it's poison to ingest. So, if you notice a very acrid sweet smell, like the kind you smell at the salon THROW IT OUT! And it's worth mentioning here that some of your manufactured bottled Kombucha drinks have been found to have these ketone bodies present
as they beverage was not kept chilled properly during transport. (Refrigerating the culture/beverage will suspend the fermenting process. Acetone is created when fermenting
occurs with out enough Oxygen.)I highly recommend an intimate relationship with your culture. Keep and eye and nose on it. Besides, the culture is a living entity and can be pretty cool to get to know!

See those yellow fuzzy looking bits? Or maybe they are black. Please be introduced to Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger. They just sound icky don't they? These molds can be extremely dangerous and even DEADLY! "These molds are normally found in soil, manure and composting vegetable matter and float freely in the air.To be safe you should not grow your culture in a room with potted plants, or near or downwind of compost piles. the screened window does NOT protect your brewery."(1)
If you see or suspect these icky dudes, throw out the brew, culture and all, and start again!

Metal in Music is fab, but mixing it in the brew can be a real drag!

By allowing metal to come into contact with the acidic brew for any longer than a very brief period can cause mineral salts from the metal to leach out into your brew and when ingested can run the risk of heavy metal poisoning. Nuff said.


So let's recap:
1. Pregnant and nursing mothers should do their homework and be extremely cautious with
Kombucha, although it can offer benefits in certain conditions.

2. Don't over do a good thing, it could lead you to detox illness.

3. Make certain your brewery is getting plenty of oxygen, or you could wind up with a salon
smelling, poisonous brew.

4. Keep the brewery away from potted plants and compost piles or you could be dancing with
some icky, deadly microscopic molds that even the screened window wont protect you from!

5. DO NOT allow ANY metal to come into contact with your acid brew!

Now, after all of these precautions I'd like to end this with some positive aspects of this ancient health drink.
Kombucha Benefits (1)
1. Improved metabolic rate.
2. Reduction cellulite. Some even water down their brew for a facial toner and topical application for skin disorders.
3. Regulation of the digestive system.
4. Adjustment of pH balance.
5. Strengthened ligaments and tendons.
6. Increased energy.
7. Fending off grey hair production
8. Improved allergy like symptoms such as phlegm and mucus production.
9. Improved Thyroid function.

All in all this miraculous mixture is well worth a few basic brewing and ingesting precautions and I've found the process to be pretty fun and entertaining! HAPPY BREWING!
(1)Kombucha How to and what its all about by Alana Pascal with Lynne Van der Kar.

Sea Pearl Natural Sea Sponge Tampon Review

I've fianlly tried my first natural tampon and I am in love!
After finding out about the product, I waited nearly a year to try Sea Pearl's sea sponge tampons and I am so grateful I did!

Since the birth of my first that caused a very natural shift in my cycle I have struggled to find a system that works well and is comfortable. I chose the largest (and hardest to find) O.B. and never gave it a second thought for many years, even while "greenifiyin" my child care and learning about the benefits of living naturally. Honestly, it never crossed my mind until the home water birth (VBAC2)of my third child. Our Midwife, Michelle Foster Gawne of Heart to Heart Birth Center suggested I use a natural alternative and turned me on to the Sea Pearls.

I can remember the first time I wore a plastic pad. I cried. I was 12 years old and in a diaper, I thought, and EVERYONE around me knew I was bleeding. Thankfully, I went to stay with an Aunt that summer who loved to swim. The day she found out I thought I couldn't go swimming because I was on my period was the day I met tampons, and other than childbirth, I never looked back. I used over the counter, plastic wrapped, bleached tampons from the time I was 12 until now, I am 33.

I bought two of the premium size large sea sponges and they are so silky soft and easy to rinse out! The absorbancy really astonished me! After completing a cycle with them I have only had one whoops and I was at the beach and having too much fun to go to the bathroom. (Sound familiar to anyone?!) I loved the freedom of not having to take a bag with me everywhere, no hunting down my bag in social situations or running to the car in an emergency. The only thing I needed for a change was a bathroom stall and a sink! And, for you girls who perfer them, no more wrapping pads and leaving them in some one's trash can either! The whole experience with my cycle this time around was cleaner, easier and even less painfull than I can remeber in the past.

I know it may sound really intimidating to wash out your own tampons, but it has proved, so far, to be much more convieniant and sanitary. Washing them out also gave me a chance to get to know my body better.
The only draw back is, I would like to order more Sea Pearls to have on hand in different sizes and the yam butter lube. I ordered the silky smooth upgrade and with out ever having seen the alternative I know it was way worth the value!!!

I give this product two feathers up! If you decide to try Sea Pearls, or have any questions before you decide to order, I would love to hear from you!

I ordered my sponges from Jade and Pearl
Those of you who know me, know I am not the consuming type, but I think I would like two of everything from this local, Eco-Friendly, small business! Here is what they have to say about Sea Pearls.
"Sea Pearls are convenient - no more running to the store for emergency tampons. Compared to the cost of conventional single use tampons and pads, our reusable Sea Pearls save you money and you will never again need to worry about polluting the environment with used feminine hygiene products. Can you believe the average woman uses nearly 17,000 disposable pads and tampons throughout her lifetime? In North America alone, an estimated 20 billion bleached pads and tampons end up in our landfills and sewage systems each year!So for your reproductive health and comfort, for the planet, for a change. . . try Sea Pearls!"

Natural Hair Care Solutions: Part II - How I survived hair care war!

I have to say that the hair care solution was a little bumpier of a
transition than I anticipated. In fact, it kinda felt like raging a war!

I had build up, knots; once I even stripped the color from my hair by using
baking soda for a shampoo rinse! It got a little hairy there for a minute
and I have to say that rather than freak out about putting shampoo out
of a plastic bottle, i.e. store bought, loaded with the SLS chemicals and
packaged in plastic bottles on my skin/head, I stopped washing my hair
but maybe once a week! It was like a hair care battle field man! Aren’t
you glad you have me at the front lines to test for you!?!
Onward Eco-Soldier!

The first natural shampoo I tried was African Black Soap and Oat Straw,
which is pretty much what my hair felt like when I was done!

Momma Green Bird Black Soap Review :
"And talk about the WOW factor! You can use this stuff for just about
ANYTHING on the whole family!"

Then I made a Castile shampoo and used a hot Sunflower oil treatment before shampooing.
Who says we have to condition AFTER we wash right?
My hair felt great…
after two days of rinsing to get the oil residue out!

The second Castile experiment added water and a drop or two of
Sunflower oil. I mixed it all up in my Honey Bear and went to squirtin. It
worked best out of all the homemade concoctions, but still left my hair
feeling brittle, unmanageable and a little sticky.

Well, I thought maybe there didn’t have to be a soap, maybe baking
soda will work as a rinse.
It took this dye job:

And STRIPPED it! Thank Goddess my dye is gentle!

My hair was beginning to get pretty upset at this point, so I went back
to what mainstream stuff I had here for a washing/conditioning or two(that’s 1-2 weeks).
NOTE: throwing all your “chemical” stuff down the drain to saturate the
Earth with said chemicals is NOT the recommen
ded method of disposal. Gradually using up what you have
already purchased and reusing the containers for your homemade stuff
is the most Eco-Friendly method in most cases.

Out of sheer frustration and just needin to whine to someone I called
on the Highest and most Knowledgeable Source on Natural Living in my life.
MY MOM!
My mother was born in 1932 to Tiny Fitzhough Cartwright. Granma Tiny
raised 8 other children through The Depression and Mother had so
many miraculous Reduce/Reuse and Natural remedies and ideas I
could hardly keep up! It was a necessary way of life for them! As an
aside, I asked her to write them down for me!

Mom gave me some great ideas and some of them I loved so much I
use on a regular basis! She reminded me of that plastic cup in the
bathroom no matter what house we were in. And that we didn't have
much, but it never seemed like we were in lack of anything. Because
we were VERY self sustainable. Country Folk can Survive, I guess!
...Dang, I outta write a song about that...

Natural Hair Care Solutions: Part I - Why Bother?

Greetings Fellow Green Goddesses! Can you believe my Little Bird has turned ONE already?!? Walkin, Talkin, Playing music and singing. Wow! Time flies when your havin fun I guess!

Anywho, that’s where I’ve been the past couple of weeks, and after a great celebration I am happy to be back with a new series for you. Natural Hair Care.

I have been asked many times by my Long Locked Goddess buddies what I use on my waist length hair. So, I thought I would put together a sort of guide for you, with recipes and ideas on natural shampoos and conditioners as well as product such as hair gel, wax and some frizzy hair pudding!

But, why bother with changing my mainstream hair care routine you ask?
For a number of different reasons, some of the largest being Health and Environmental positive impact and happy little side effects like Convenience, and Cost vs. Value. I.e. saving money!

Most mainstream soaps. I.e.Shampoo, Bubble bath, Dish soap, Laundry detergent contain a member of the Sodium Laureth Sulphate family.
"The substance may be toxic to skin. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."
Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many
human organs."

Check out some other blogs and websites on the topic:
You can find more solutions and information here, including a recipe made with staple ingredients!
Eco-Friendly Multipurpose Cleaner and SLS Info.

The Green List has information from The Journal of the American College of Toxicology report

The Case Against Sodium Laureth Sulfate
"Narelle Chenery, Director of Research and Development for ONE Group and formulator of the world's first certified organic skin and body care products, Miessence, and member of the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists looks at the much maligned and often misunderstood chemical, sodium laureth sulfate." She claims, "Whilst SLES is often claimed to be natural because it can be derived from coconut oil, it is the manufacturing process that bears looking into."

And as far as Cost VS. Value and Convenience, when you purchase a product that has many uses around your house, in other words it works hard for you, then it is worth the "pay" or cost to purchase that item. Two such items are Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda. Those two items have uses in nearly every aspect of life here. Food, health, beauty, medicine.We call them "staples".
Not only are they cheap and come in sustainable/reusable packaging but they are also OF the Earth. There for Earth Friendly! Do the math in your situation. Need a little help? Shoot me an email Mommagreenbird@gmail.com
THIS is how we Go Green without Going Broke peeps!

*Stay Tuned for the second segment in Natural Hair Care Solutions "My Journey".

Homebirth on the Rise

I offered some information from my book in progress to this young lady. What a well written article! Way to perpetuate the energy Amanda! And thank you for the connection Facebook!

Lovin the Planet with Earth Momma and Baby friendly Bug Spray

Greetings Earthlings! It's been a little while since my last entry so I thought I would drop by with a quick recipe. Earth Momma and Baby Friendly Bug Spray.

As with most of my how to knowledge this one was born of necessity with Raven's first camping trip! http://thegreentraveler.blogspot.com/2011/04/we-take-cloth-campin-are-cloth-diapers.html
I made two batches, one that was FOOD GRADE and another with some patchouli for mom to share with the girls! Both were a hit and although you had to reapply often, it worked and smelled GREAT! In fact, strangers even commented on the pleasant scent!
I would like to take a moment to say, all life has value, even that tiny annoying bug. They have their place among the circle just like we do, I would just rather our place not be FOOD! The best course of action is to be on a certain level of connection with the bug. After all God/Goddess/Creator made you all. You’ll find that when you become more connected to this Earth energy, you will look more towards natural remedies that you can make easily from basic ingredients with little to no impact on the planet. When your perspective shifts from that of the Consumer i.e. “Where can I buy earth friendly products?” To the Doer “What can I use to make my own?” You will find small miracles happening. With your health, your attitude, and maybe even your checkbook. THIS is how my journey has become so green and a lot of the times less expensive. Sure, you can buy an Eco-Baby friendly bottle of spray or balm, but why consume a “one use only” product bottled in, chances are, resource depleting packaging that just so happens to be one more thing for the landfill or recycle bins. But why, when you can go purchase some reusable bottles (all of my E.O. bottles are glass and washable) with ingredients you can use all over your home? It's all about getting back into alignment with our Planet. Really connecting with her and connecting with her energies.
Ok, so on to the recipe!

Eco-baby Bug Spray
* food grade.
Items:
3 oz sprayer bottle. (you can get a plastic one for a dollar but I do not recommend it as the vodka eats the plastic seal. Look for glass reusable sprayers from your local health food stores.)
100 proof vodka (cheap stuff works great!)
5 drops grape seed oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
Funnel (optional)
Shake before each use.

Place the bottle on a sturdy surface and pour a small amount of the vodka into the bottle so the essential (E.O.) oil drops disperse nicely and do not stick to the bottle.
Add your E.O. and grape seed oil then fill with vodka and shake.
Taaaa-daaaa!! Easy, Safe, smell good bug spray!
Notes: you can always add more E.O. to your taste or what works for your area. Be careful around babies face and eyes as these oils are a little camphorous, but all items in this specific recipe are edible and safe for ingestion through the skin and mouth. To be honest my basic E.O. stash has lavender and rosemary and grape seed at all times because they are so versatile. From bug spray to food flavorings to aroma therapy! You also do not have to worry about applying this to broken skin as it may actually help to disinfect (vodka, lavender and rosemary) and heal (essential oils and grape seed oil) any boo boos or scratched bites!
The grape seed oil can be substituted for any other carrier oils like jojoba or olive even. Just remember that some oils have a small shelf life. Grape seed is my favorite because it is cheap, very good for the skin, does not lay heavy or leave fragrance and I can cook with it too! I highly recommend a good rub down with some coconut oil before leaving the house or tent as it will help the spray to “stick” and last a little longer.
Fragrance ideas:

Gone to the Hippies
Food grade recipe plus patchouli! YUMM!

Tree Hugger's Special
Lavender
Rosemary
Patchouli

You are my Sunshine
citron vodka
citrus eucalyptus e.o.
citronella (not too much)
Lemon Grass or Lemon Verbena


The sky is the limit as to what you can do with this! Have fun and report back your favorite recipe!