Comfort from the Scriptures

Last night I was up for a few hours with my little guy teething. I was discouraged and tired - honestly I didn't want to do it, I wanted to go back to sleep until morning. :) For awhile I didn't do anything except rock him and give him some teething homeopathic remedy to help relieve his pain. I then got my phone out and started reading the Bible on it. First I read Proverbs 31, then Philippians, & then the first 4 chapters of Ephesians. No reason for the order just sort of did it. He was resting well by the forth chapter of Ephesians so we both went back in bed. :)

During the time I spent reading several different verses stood out to me and comforted me as I rocked my baby. He wasn't crying though, just awake. He's never cried much with teething.

I found comfort during my discouragement and tiredness in the middle of the night from these scriptures:

She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Philippians 4:4-6

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3

Among many others. :)

What scriptures encourage you when your discouraged and tired?

Homemade Natural Stick Deodorant

Do you remember me sharing about my experience making deodorant in March?

Well, it turned out great like I said and I liked it but during the summer months it got way too soft and not convenient at all to use. It made such a mess and spilled all over.

A little while back I was looking for a new recipe and ran across this one. I tried it and it was such a success!

I'm so happy - it's perfect! My husband can use it and has no bad reactions to it and it doesn't melt in the warm whether either.

Yay!

Homemade Natural Stick Deodorant
makes 1 stick worth and a bit more

6 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp beeswax
3 Tbsp pure shea butter (or cocoa or any firm butter)
3 Tbsp corn starch (non gmo)
3 Tbsp baking soda (make sure to use aluminum free)
2 Tbsp Aloe Powder (I couldn't find this anywhere locally so I left it out and put an extra 1Tbsp of each corn starch & baking soda)
Essential oils as desired (I used 6 drops of Tea Tree essential oil and it could have used more)

1. Melt the beeswax in a double boiler over medium-high heat.
2. Once almost melted, add the coconut oil and cocoa butter and stir frequently until melted.
3. Remove from heat and stir whisk (carefully) in the powders, one at a time until well mixed.
4. Add the essential oils and stir to mix well and promote cooling.
5. Pour into stick container and set in the refrigerator for a few minutes until firm.
6. Move to bathroom counter to let firming process finish. It should be ready within 2 hours or so.

Let me know if you try this and how you like it.

P.S. - Sorry for the break in my posting. We went on vacation for 2 weeks and I thought I'd be able to post while on it but it didn't happen... Now I'm home and getting everything back on schedule...trying to keep my priorities on track. : ) Hope I didn't loose my readers! : )

Skoy Cloths - Review & Giveaway!

I've been using these cloths for the last month or so and have so enjoyed them. Wiping counters, highchairs, messy baby faces, scrubbing floors, stoves, and so much more. I love that they are biodegradable and work just as easily as a paper towel. These also work great for mirrors or windows as they don't leave any lint. They dry quickly and so far none of mine have started to smell! :) If they do you can throw them in the washer (yay! They are dishwasher & washer/dryer safe!) or microwave to sanitize them.


Skoy Cloths are:

• 100% biodegradable
• one Skoy Cloth is equivalent to 15 rolls of paper towels
• Made of natural ingredients - cotton & cellulose wood pulp
• Compostable
• Washer/Dryer safe
  

To Use:
Wet your SKOY cloth before using. Be sure to squeeze out the excess water for optimal absorption. It can be used with popular household cleaners, but works just as well with water.
Note: Rinse cloth very well when combined with dish soap in order not to leave residue.


SKOY recommends that after your SKOY cloth has passed its prime, it can be used as a rag for heavier cleaning. Chlorine-use is not recommended.

Care:
The SKOY can be cleaned in your dishwasher and is washer and dryer safe up to 90°C (190°F).

Purchase your own Skoy Cloth:
A 4 pack of Skoy cloths can be purchased directly from them on their site or via Amazon.com for $6.99 + they are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping (on orders over $25 on Amazon only).

Win Your Own! Skoy has offered to give 1 4 pack of their Skoy Cloths to one of my readers!

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your name and an email address so I can contact you if you win. Let me know what you'd like to try the Skoy cloths on if you win too!

Extra Entries:
Follow A Restful Place via GFC (on the left)
Share this giveaway via your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Put my button - A Restful Place on your Blog (leave the link)
Order your own Skoy Cloths.

All these are for 1 extra entry each except if you place an order - then you get 5 extra entries.

Giveaway open to the US only. Giveaway Ends July 22, 2011.

Disclaimer: I received the above product(s) free from the manufacture for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Suuthe Emu Oil Giveaway Winner!

The winner for the Suuthe Emu Oil Giveaway is comments #4 - "Couponsforme2"!


Congratulations!

Thank you to all who entered!

10 Reasons to Drink Water

Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.

Weight loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and it doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.

Digestive problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

Maintaining Body Fluids
Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

Pain Relief
Drinking more water actually helps lessen pain in your body by getting your lymphatic system moving. The lymphatic system is a network of nodes, tubes, vessels, and fluid that move waste out of your tissues. It requires water to function properly.

You'll Have Less Cramps and Sprains
Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.

Healthy Skin
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

Headache Cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.

You're Less Likely to Get Sick
Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water with lemon added is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. Another one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve our immune system

I have to admit that I have to be the worst at drinking water. I have nothing against water and I don't drink anything else really. I'm just horrible at doing it. I never "feel" thirsty and I just don't think about it, so this post is mainly written for me and to help remind me how much I have to drink more water. I know all this about how good water is, I just have never gotten in a habit to drink it. :( But I have been trying more lately and I think I've been doing ok - I still have a long way to go. :)