Refashion and Repurpose

The introduction of Emilie's Barne's book "More Hours in My Day" caught my eye. She tells the story of her mother (a seamstress) who raised her and her brother alone after her husband passed away. It started with her mother making her a beautiful dress for special occasions, then after the dress wasn't new anymore, it became an everyday dress, and then rows of fabrics were added to extend the life of the dress as she grew taller. When the dress was no longer suitable to wear as a dress, it became a top, when it was no longer acceptable as clothing, it was refashioned to become an apron, then it became soft cloths for dusting, and eventually it became rags to mop the floor. She would take out the buttons and used them to make other projects so that nothing was wasted. Every single part of this dress was used until it was no longer usable. 

I hope I will be able to do the same - to reuse, refashion, repurpose, resell, and donate things that I do not need or no longer fit. God created this world and it was good. Taking care of our environment by reducing waste is a part of being a good steward of this earth God has given us dominion on.

Recently I took a onesie that is still in an excellent condition but no longer suits Elin and refashioned it to become a top. Here it is:

Before:

After:

I'm happy that I can extend the life of this onesie. In the future, I hope to add more fabrics or laces at the bottom when she grows taller, so she can continue to wear it.

Do share in the comments below what and how you've refashioned or repurposed something before?

Painting: World of Animals

When I was searching for ideas to paint for my friend who just gave birth to her second son, I came across this set of painting by Yuko Lau and I fell in love with all of them right away. My hubby loved it so much he asked me to paint more for our own house. Elin was then about eight months and starting to crawl everywhere on the floor. She found the colors very attractive and couldn't keep her hands of them. So adorable!

First I drew nine of them.

Then six more. Just because they were all too cute.

Then they were up on the wall!

You can paint your own too! These square canvases were from Art Friend and they were inexpensive. I used acrylic paints as I feel it's the easiest to use, easy to blend, and dries quickly.

Happy painting!

A Collection of Painting

I still remember vividly that day in Kindergarten art class, when we all sat down on the floor to draw something with crayons. I remember drawing a simple house with a black-colored roof. The teacher who was walking up and down the hall, stopped to look at my drawing, took it, and threw it away in the big trashcan right in front of me. Maybe it was an ugly house, but did she have to do that? And then I watched as she praised a friend's beautiful drawing of a scenery. I don't remember feeling sad or angry, maybe I was too young back then, but I've never forgotten that moment, what my drawing looked like, and the other nice drawing that she praised about. Over the years that childhood incident didn't stop me from doing arts. I still loved doing creative art and in secondary school, I entered an "International Friendship Day" drawing competition which won me first place. It was a turning point in my art life where I gained a sense of confidence that nothing is impossible if we work hard and put our hearts in what we do. I wish the school returned the drawing to me because it was a special one. I didn't pursue an Arts degree as a university student, but I continue to do it as a hobby. I love when I get my hands dirty in paints, choosing and mixing colors, and seeing a blank canvas turning into a beautiful artwork. If humans can create such marvelous colors, how much more our Father in Heaven can do. He is the Master Artist.

One of my first painting using acrylic: Zen painting inspired by one that I saw on eBay, painted in 2006.

Evan and I love to bike and so I painted this upon moving in to our first home after we got married in 2008. Inspired by a poster I saw on All Posters (but I can't find the exact link anymore) :(

 Painting together with my sister. Painted in 2010.

That's my sister and her husband. 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" - Psalm 27:1

I painted this for a friend's baby shower. One that reminds me of Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd. Painted in 2011. (source)

I painted this for my friend's family of four. Painted in 2013. (source)

Hubby loved it so much that I made another set for our own home.

This one is for Elin's super Daddy.

This one is for our friend's new home. God made the big and the small. He loves them all! Painted in Jan 2013.

"But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." - Isaiah 64:8

Recipe: Hijiki Seaweed and Chicken

My friend introduced me to hijiki seaweed and shared a recipe that is so mouth-watering. I can't seem to eat enough of them. It's so delicious to eat on its own or with rice. Seaweed is also a natural MSG and is rich in iodine, a mineral important to keep out thyroid healthy.

Ingredients:

Pastured chicken, boneless, cut into small strips
Carrots, slice thinly
1 cup of Hijiki dried seaweed
Onions
2 tbsp Japanese sake
2 tbsp raw honey
3 tbsp naturally fermented soy sauce
1 cup of dried bonito flakes (to make dashi stock)
Coconut oil
Japanese chili pepper (optional).

Directions:

1. Soak hijiki seaweed for 30 minutes in water. Drain.

2. Make dashi stock. I prefer to make my own dashi stock because the regular dashi powder that is sold in the supermarket contains MSG. If you can find one that doesn't contain MSG, you can use it too. I make mine by soaking one cup of dried bonito flakes to two cups of boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Remove the flakes and reserve the stock.

3. Marinate chicken in sake, honey, and soy sauce (while waiting for the seaweed to soften).

4. Heat coconut oil and stir fry onion until fragrant. Add in the marinated chicken, drained seaweed, and dashi stock. Cook until chicken is well done. Add in chili powder for extra kick if you like.

Bon appétit!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Basic Essential Oils I Have and How I Use Them

Lavender Flowers

I've been trying to use more essential oils in making homemade cleaners as well as for natural remedies. I really didn't know what to expect the first time I purchased essential oils. I didn't know which ones to buy and I didn't know what to do with them. I really didn't want to waste money for something I will not use. But I'm glad I purchased them, I'm starting to appreciate good quality essential oils and the wonders they can do to my health, body, and home. 

Here are six essential oils that I currently own and use:

1. Tea tree. It's anti-fungal, antiseptic, anti-viral, and antibacterial. I use it to make homemade all-purpose cleaner.

2. Eucalyptus. I have used this the most especially when we are down with cold and cough. I use it to make homemade salve and apply it to my chest, back, under the feet, and under the nose to help decongest.

3. Lavender. It's considered one of the safest essential oils as it is made by steam distilling the flowers themselves. Apply it to alleviate headaches and fatigue, relieve stress and anxiety, calm our body and promote good sleep. I've read it helps to heal ear infections as well. Lavender is another good oil to add to homemade cleaning solutions as it has antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. It also makes a great natural air freshener.

4. Peppermint. It is effective for relieving colds, headaches, digestive upset, stomach pains, muscle pains/aches, and reducing fever. I also use this to make homemade antibacterial foaming hand soap.

5. Lemon. I like to mix this into my homemade all-purpose cleaner to give a refreshing scent. It's a good deodorizer and the acidity kills mold, bacteria and germs. 

6. Sweet Orange. I add this to my homemade floor cleaner for a mild orange fragrance.

What is your favorite essential oil and what do you use it for?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Homemade Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap

I used to buy scented foaming hand soap in the store. They smell so nice and they have scents for each season of the year. I especially love the minty scents that they sell during Christmas season. As wonderful as they are, they contain chemicals and synthetic fragrances that are not good for our skin. Our skin absorbs everything that we put on it. So making homemade version of antibacterial foaming hand soap at home frees us from worrying about the chemicals we put on our skin and it works just as wonderfully as store-bought hand soap. It is simple to make, using only water, castile soap, and pure essential oil. Castile soap is a very concentrated vegetable-oil based soap and a little goes a long way. So it's not only economical, but also safe to use for the most sensitive skin. Here is how to make your own antibacterial foaming hand soap. You can substitute the peppermint essential oil to your favorite oil.

Ingredients:

Re-use a foaming soap dispenser and fill it with:

1/4 parts of castile soap (plain or peppermint scented)
3/4 parts water
A few drops of peppermint essential oil

Directions:

Put all ingredients in the foaming soap dispenser and mix well.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Treating Cough Naturally

Our body is designed in such a way that it is able to heal itself naturally in illnesses such as fever, common cold, and cough. Cough (as it is with fever) in itself is not an illness, but an immune response (a symptom) that helps us recover from the illness. It has its place in healing and ideally shouldn't be suppressed. Cough is our body's automatic response when chest congestion sets in. It helps to break out the congestion and move it out of the chest. Many of us, including myself, like to do it the easy way and find over-the-counter medicines to cure our cough fast, especially when we see our little ones in discomfort, but doing so interferes with the body's recovery process, resulting in a longer illness and possibly more serious complications. 

What Can We Do When Cough Sets In?

- Rest. Resting is a must as it gives the body time to recover.

- Sleep Slightly Elevated. This will help to relieve the discomfort of cough.

- Hot Steam for chest congestion or cool moist air to soothe a dry hacking cough.

- Keep Hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids and warm broths to prevent dehydration.

- Gargling with Saltwater. It will speed up the healing of sore throat.

- Essential Oils. Eucalyptus, peppermint, white camphor, and thyme are a few examples that help relieve chest congestion. Mix it with a carrier oil such as olive oil or sweet almond oil and rub it on the neck, chest, and back of the body. If you have a diffuser, you can add a few drops of essential oils in it and let the machine run. 

- Herbs. Elderberry, slippery elm, mullein, marshmallow roots, garlic, onion, ginger, and raw honey are natural expectorants that helps to sooth our throat and loosen mucous without the dangerous side effects of over-the-counter medicines.

- Homeopathic Remedy such as this one.

- Avoid Dairy and Refined Carbohydrates. These foods are mucous-producing and immune-suppressing foods and better avoided while in the process of recovering from a cough. I was confused when Elin's pediatrician told me to stop giving her milk and yogurt when she had a cough, but I think it really helped her heal faster.

- Vitamins. Consume immune-boosting foods that are high in vitamin C, zinc, and D (such as cod liver oil).

- Sun Exposure. Our good old sun gives us the most vitamin D that is especially important for our immunity. Our body produces the most vitamin D when the sun is at its highest.

I have been avoiding over-the-counter cough medicines and seek natural alternative remedies outlined above, along with consuming food and herbs that boost our immune system, and I believe this has helped us from getting sick too often, as we used to get before, and when we did have it, I remember that it didn't last as long. But I also know that we can only do so much, the best we can, to be a good steward of our body. Because in the end, our health is in God's hands and we trust in God's sovereign plan and time.

What natural methods have you successfully tried at home to relieve cough and congestion?

Disclaimer: Although I am passionate about healthy and natural living, I am not a certified or a licensed medical practitioner who can counsel anyone in medical issues and cannot be held responsible for any decision you make regarding your health. What I am sharing are what I have learned and applied to my family but may not necessarily work for yours. My only hope is that this blog may encourage you to learn more about healthy and natural living which will hopefully help you as you make decisions for your own family.