It's almost August ... can you believe it? Before we know it, it will be September and our kids will be heading back to school.

During summer, it can be difficult to keep kids on a regular sleep schedule; we want them to play and have fun while they can! But research shows school-aged kids needs about 9-12 hours of sleep[1] at night, which is especially important during the school year to support intellectual and emotional health.

Now is a great time to start your kids back on a healthy sleep schedule so that by the time school rolls around, they'll be rested and ready to head back. So, how do you help support your kids' healthy sleep schedule? Here are some suggestions[2]:

• Make a special bedtime.
  
• Pick a bedtime that feels natural for your child. Pay attention to when they naturally "wind down" or get physically tired, which is when they should be going to bed.
  
• Keep a regular routine and make it simple.
  
• Avoid caffeinated beverages like hot chocolate and cola, which can keep your kids from falling asleep.
  

You also might want to try using lavender Lavandula angustifolia ess
. Many kids (and adults!) find a few drops on the pillowcase soothing and relaxing. You can even lead your kids through some to help them relax and inhale the lavender aromatherapy essential oil.

A 2008 study in Early Human Development [3] also showed that the aroma of lavender bath oil may have effective relaxing and sleep-inducing properties. When used with mothers and infants, the data showed increased relaxation of mothers and infants.

Have you tried lavender with your kids? We'd love to hear more about your experience using lavender for sleep and relaxation. Please post your comments to share (and if you have other suggestions for helping your kids to get healthy sleep, please post those too!).

References:
[1] http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/sleep.htm
[2] http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/sleep.htm
[3] Field T, Field T, Cullen C, Largie S, Diego M, Schanberg S, Kuhn.
Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Hum Dev. 2008 Jun;84(6):399-401. Epub 2007 Nov 28. Accessed 7/27/10: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053656

* Note the information within this article is for information purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, prescribe, or cure. When using essential oils, it is best to consult with a Registered Aromatherapist or your primary care physician for questions.

So many of you know I am crazy about Lavender! It would make sense because my favorite color even as a little girl was purple. I tried to deny it for a short period but kept reverting back. I love to make many products from fresh local Lavender and I love to bake so I thought it only natural to try some lavender recipes. Recently I have made Lavender Sugar, Lavender Tea, Lavender Water, Lavender Lemonade, and as of tonight Lavender Tea Cookies with Lavender Frosting. Let me just say YUM! We made plain, Sugar topped and frosted and I think the votes are in for the frosted ones to be the best with a hint of Lemon they are a perfect addition to an afternoon tea or bedtime snack. Did you know . It is said that Queen Elizabeth enjoyed eating Lavender conserve and also used it as a perfume. Apparently she insisted that the royal table should never be without Lavender conserve. She also drank Lavender tea to help ease her migraines. Even today, French farmers graze their lambs in fields of lavender to give the meat a superb, fresh, floral flavour.

Some benefits of Lavender are~


Lavender may help ease insomnia. Lavender may help calm nervousness and anxiety. It may also be used to alleviate stress and uplift flagging spirits.

Lavender may help treat an upset stomach, as well as flatulence and colic. It may also be used to treat stomach and bowel infections. Lavender may help alleviate depressive and migraine headaches. Lavender when applied topically, may help alleviate colds, cough, asthma, bronchitis and similar problems in the respiratory system. Lavender tea may help induce sweating and consequently reduce the body temperature during fever. Lavender when applied topically, may help heal cuts, wounds, ulcers and sores. Lavender tea is also useful as a mouthwash to combat halitosis.

Well of to bed with a Lavender cookie and a cup of tea as well as a great book I picked up this weekend from a local authors. Goodnight all until next time... Next Lavender project Colorado pork chops With a Lavender sauce.

A full night's sleep is not a luxury — it's a basic necessity for healthy hormone balance. Once you dip below seven hours a night, you are increasing your risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, depression, and obesity. Some researchers believe that slow-wave sleep — the deep, dreamless sleep that you ideally sink into about three or four times a night — may actually regulate your metabolism. Sleep researcher break down sleep into five stages. Stage 4 slow-wave sleep, which begins about an hour after we fall asleep, is when we release our greatest pulses of growth hormone, the hormone that prompts the body to burn stored fat. When we're young, we spend about 20 percent of our time asleep in slow-wave stages 3 and 4. But as we get older, we may only spend about 10 or even 5 percent there. Sadly, just two nights of bad sleep will cut your satiety hormone leptin by 20 percent and increase your hunger hormone ghrelin by 30 percent. That one-two punch makes you much more likely to snack on high-carb treats, which couldn't come at a worse time for your insulin levels. In a recent study, University of Chicago researchers found that just three nights of poor sleep made the bodies of young, healthy test subjects 25 percent less sensitive to insulin. This level of insulin resistance is comparable to that brought on by carrying 20 to 30 extra pounds. In order to block fat-storage hormones and allow the full release of fat-burning hormones, you need to get at least seven hours of sleep a night!

I found this article and thought it was to great not to share!

By Michelle Martin

Didn’t get a pay raise this year? Benefits were cut? What if your job offered you a garden plot, some seeds, and a smattering of coworkers to accompany your planting and weeding during the lunch hour — and let you reap part of the bounty when it popped out from the ground?

A New York Times article pointed out an emerging trend in the business world: company gardens. From corporations such as Google and PepsiCo to small businesses, employees are joining forces to grow food on the company grounds. The produce eventually goes home with employees who helped hoe and weed, ends up at a food bank, or serves a company purpose (such as providing food for Google’s café). Sometimes companies start these projects to foster a sense of community or simply to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for everyone. Sometimes employees request and commandeer the gardens themselves.

Of course, the quality of the gardens varies quite a bit. Google’s garden is part of a complete food system including a Manager of Culinary Horticulture, who oversees the gardens. Meanwhile, PepsiCo’s garden, roughly the size of two tennis courts, dropped from more than 200 volunteer employees to 75 over the course of the year, and by mid-May few had even seeded their plots. Sometimes the initial morale drops as projects continue piling up on workers’ desks. And occasionally enthusiastic would-be-gardeners simply lose interest.

Our own editors, Shelley and Heidi, started a company garden for garden-willing employees of Ogden Publishers, which produces MOTHER EARTH NEWS. The gardeners started planning early about what design and plants everyone wanted. These employees agreed that the garden should be pretty, fun, colorful and full of edibles, and they used an approach called edible landscaping in which useful fruit and vegetable plants are beautifully arranged. (For more, check out our upcoming article on edible landscaping in our October/November 2010 issue.) Every day with suitable weather, all willing workers join together throughout the lunch hour to weed and water. So far, they have harvested lettuce, radishes, zucchini, peppers, herbs and even a few tomatoes!

A University of Essex study found that even five minutes a day of outdoor activity can substantially boost mood and self-esteem. Thus, maybe that half hour you or your employees spend tending the sprouts in the sunshine will become an investment in positivity that fuels healthy office interaction. Office gardeners also say that working alongside both superiors and inferiors has an equalizing effect on the corporate pecking order. “It takes the politics out of the job,” said Sheila Golden, a senior manager at PepsiCo, to the New York Times. “Everybody is on the same level in the garden.”

At the very least, a company-hosted community garden offers an easy and hands-on way for everyone to gain more awareness of healthy and sustainable choices. Gardens can also offer practical knowledge on how to produce one’s own food.

Plus: if you ever forget your lunch, just step outside for free nibbles! elements from the top bar.

Smell Better
Buy fragrance made from organic essential oils instead of name-brand perfume made from synthetic fragrance. You'll save $30 or more per ounce.
Essential oils made from organically grown herbs or flowers are free from the harmful chemicals used on conventionally raised flora, as well as from phthalates, which are associated with synthetic perfumes and fragrances. Certain phthalates are suspected carcinogens and can lead to hormonal and reproductive system disorders.

Laser Sharp
Invest in laser hair removal instead of waxing and save $1,500 to $2,500 for 10 years of hair removal treatment.
The paraffin wax used for hair removal is derived from petroleum, which is a nonrenewable resource, while the electricity used during laser treatment is roughly equivalent to that of a standard light bulb. And it's a change that lasts. Laser treatment can achieve permanent hair removal, whereas waxing must be done every five to six weeks.

Razor's Edge
Ditch disposable razors or refillable blades replaced weekly, and buy a rechargeable or plug-in electric razor instead. You can save a total of about $80 a year, or roughly the cost of a decent electric razor.
You'll help the planet by cutting your use of: 1,000 gallons of water (no need to run the hot water when you have an electric razor), 150 pounds of carbon dioxide from water heating energy and about 5 pounds of waste (razors, packaging and shaving cream containers). You'll save time too! Shaving with an electric razor tends to be much quicker than shaving with a disposable one.

Nailing It
Buy nail polish free of dibutyl phthalates and toluene instead of standard brand-name polish made with standard toxins. Nail polishes are among the most dangerous cosmetics. Toluene is linked to cancer, and both toluene and dibutyl phthalates are associated with developmental toxicity. You'll save up at least $10 a year, but the real savings are ecological. Fewer toxic chemicals means reduced risk of damage to wildlife, fish and ecosystems.

Bar None
Buy bars of soap instead of a plastic bottle of body wash and save up to $50 per year for a family of four and reduce waste. Bars of soap are usually minimally packaged in recyclable paper or cardboard, whereas body wash almost always comes in a plastic bottle.


Don't Count Sheets
Choose 300-count sheets instead of 600-count or higher. High thread count claims may be inflated or manufactured with thinner, lower-quality threads. Sheets made from Egyptian cotton or American-grown pima cotton are the best, regardless of thread count. They have the longest fibers, which mean they'll last the longest, and they'll save you about $100 per sheet set depending on brand and size.
Longer-lasting sheets, by definition, need to be replaced less frequently. Growing cotton requires energy, water, land and large quantities of agrochemicals. Processing, sewing and transport (most cotton items are made overseas) involve additional energy and resources. How is this good for you? If you're not buying super-expensive sheets, you're staying away from luxury linen departments—which can be major money suckers.

Unscrew Around
Even though things may look a bit bare (I prefer to think of it as "minimalist"), you can cut your energy consumption significantly—and save up to $90 in electricity costs, as well as the costs of bulb replacement—by disabling half of the bulbs in multibulb light fixtures.
You will conserve an estimated 875 kilowatt-hours of energy by eliminating 10 60-watt bulbs that are normally on for an average of four hours per day. But be sure to leave enough illumination so that your eyes aren't strained.


Feed Each Other
Share a meal with your date and save $25 or more each time out. You will either prevent food from being wasted or avoid the burden of carting home an oversize foam to-go box that will inevitably be crammed into an undersize trashcan.
It's not only about being good. You'll also save room for dessert! Plus, what's less romantic than the car stinking of garlic the next morning because you forgot to take in the leftovers?


Joy to the Soy
Buy soy candles instead of paraffin wax candles. You can save $10 for equivalent burn time. And soy wax burns cleanly, emitting 90 percent less pollution than paraffin wax candles, which are made from petroleum and are as dirty as diesel exhaust. Soy is a renewable resource, whereas paraffin is nonrenewable, made from crude oil. Another benefit is improved indoor air quality and reduced exposure to the 11 carcinogenic compounds associated with paraffin wax candle soot.

Allergies got you down? Look for local Bee pollen if you can't find that local honey will work too. Start with small daily doses and work up. Why it works~Local Bees collect pollen from local plants so when you ingest the local pollen or honey you slowly build a resistance to the pollens and minimises the reaction in your body. Great places to look for this Farmers Markets or Natural food markets like Natures Pantry.

5 Nutrient/ Supplement Tips Here are some quick tips based upon recent studies conducted and published in major medical/ nutritional journals:

1. Resveratrol INCREASES blood flow to the brain resulting in increased focus and concentration…..Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant as well as antiaging powerhouse!
2. Vitamin D levels help predict risk of Type 2 Diabetes….the higher the Vitamin D level (measured in blood) resulted in less RISK of developing Type 2 DM…..we already know so many good things about Vitamin D and this is exciting new information
3. Zinc intake (45mg/day) resulted in a decrease in inflammatory markers in the blood and a decrease in heart disease incidence….this particular study applies to adults only…..we know from testing that many people are low in Zinc, so it is a good idea to ensure you are getting enough Zinc
4. Vitamin D supplements lead to a decrease risk of developing breast cancer.…..again, more confirmation that staying on top of Vitamin D supplementation is very important
5. Glucosamine supplementation was found to lower mortality risk….somewhat of an odd finding, but we are finding that this class of natural occurring compounds do exert anti-inflammatory actions…

As always, these small tips confirm what we know: there is a natural option for everything….

As I was going about my daily business today I observed something. You see I choose to walk most places I go because I believe you have two legs so use them. Unless it is necessary why not? We live in a small town and it's take a short amount of time to get most any place here. People now days however look at you with pity or think it's funny to see a person walking any place. They can't fathom why a person would choose to walk.  I have even heard of judges looking down on those who don't have cars if they have children. Now I understand to some degree however in a small community really is there a need? I remember as a young girl walking or ridding in my bike EVERYWERE! What is wrong with that? If their is an emergency your going to call 911 anyway right?  And how many people in America or the world don't have car? ALOT! Some choose not to and some just can't afford them. Can we really blame them for making smart environmental, Health and financial choices? I believe as Americans we have gotten lazy! It may take longer to get to your destination but the pay off will be big in the end really! There a so many reasons walking makes sense like, saving money on gas, saving wear and tear on your car, better for the environment, plus good old fashioned exercise. So why not walk the next time you have to go to the post office or the store for only a few items and the next time you see a person walking or ridding a bike don't look at them with pity but look at them as wise unless they are weighed down with a ton of stuff or look like they are suffering then offer to help.

The new office is really coming along! I can't wait to fully get it open but if you don't mind a little craziness then make an appointment or stop on by. We will be having an open house very soon and are excited about the things to come. We have a few display cases out stocked with product and the consultation area is almost finished. Also soon to come a meditation/aromatherapy room so keep watch. We have a small library of books and DVDs that is growing.