KONY2012

Natural Egg Dye!

It's that time of year again and why not try some natural methods for dying Easter eggs this year. Forget using harsh synthetic colors and dyes, natural coloring derived from food can produce sweet, subtle hues that are sure to please anyone. 

There are three easy methods to dye eggs naturally.

1) Hot Dying Method (use uncooked eggs)
Using a saucepan, add 1 quart water, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and dye material. Using cold (uncooked) eggs, make sure the liquid covers the eggs. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes before removing eggs to cool.

2) Cold Dying Method (Use cooked eggs)
In a saucepan add 1 quart of water, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and dye ingredient.  Bring the contents of your sauce pan to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Strain out your dye ingredient and cool.  Submerge hard boiled eggs into the cooled dye until the color strength you want is achieved.  Turn eggs occasionally to ensure even coverage.  Remove from dye and dry.

3) Silk-tie method: (Use uncooked eggs)
Textile fabrics like silk will release their dye when vinegar is added to the cooking water.

• Cut silk (like from a tie) into a square large enough to wrap around a raw egg.
• Place the printed side facing the egg, wrap the the silk around your egg and secure using twist ties.
• Cut a piece of white fabric larger than the silk piece to go around your egg, then lay the silk-covered egg on the white fabric, bring up the sides and secure again using a twist tie.
• Place eggs in a glass or enamel pan, cover with water and add 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
• Bring water to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove eggs from water using tongs and allow to cool.
• Remove fabrics from eggs and let them continue to cool on a rack.

For each color, use one of the suggested dye materials per 1 quart of water.  For amounts not provided below, use enough dye material to create the desired color.  Keep in mind that color of the egg will be lighter than the color of the dye bath.

Yellow:

• Orange or lemon peels, boiled
• 2 Tbsp ground tumeric
• Chamomile tea or Green tea
• 4 cups yellow onion skin (makes a yellow/orange color)

Orange:

• 4 Tbsp paprika
• Grated carrots
• 3 Tbsp chili powder (makes a red/orange color)

Pink:

• 1 cup chopped fresh beets
• Cranberries or cranberry juice
• 4 cups red onion skin
• Red grape juice or Red wine

Lavender:

• Purple grape juice
• Red tea

Violet Blue:

• Red wine
• Violet blossoms
• Red onion skins

Blue:

• 1&1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or canned
• 4 cups red shredded cabbage

Green:

• 1 cup blueberries (add grape juice for more intensity)

Gold/Brown:

• Dill seeds

Mocha:

• 1 quart strongly brewed coffee or strong black tea

TIPS:

You can make a drying rack by cutting up a paper towel tube into rings and allowing your eggs stand on rings to dry.

Give your eggs a glossy finish by rubbing a little vegetable oil on them using a paper towel once they are dry.

* Refrigerate your cooked eggs! You do not want to keep your eggs out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.  Throw away eggs that have been out too long, better safe than sorry!

What do you think?  Have you ever colored your Easter eggs naturally? Would you ever consider using natural ingredients to make dyes verse synthetic dyes you buy in stores?

Support us in The Warrior Dash!

In June My friends and I will be participating in the Warrior Dash! It is the worlds largest running series. It is basically a 5k combined with an obstacle course that includes things like mud, rope courses, fire and more!! It's an incredible fitness challenge but also a benefit to raise money for St. Jude Research Hospital.  We have decided to ban together and raise money as team "Hungry For Living".

 As I conquer obstacles, leap over fire, and crawl through the mud, kids at St. Jude Hospital are fighting for their lives. They are one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases. They never deny any child care and it costs $1.7 million a day to operate St. Jude. By supporting me and donating you will inspire hope in the children who need it the most and their families.

PLEASE HELP BY MAKING A DONATION!!

It's simple and easy, just click on the link below. Every $1 counts and no donation is too small!! Thanks so much!

Click To Donate

You can check out more about the Warrior Dash here

or go to www.Warriordash.com to get involved too!
This is done all over the country all year round!

My Week On A Cleanse!

 Day 1
The liquid came out of the bottle as half liquid, half brown sludge.  I combined it with water in my blender, since it was the only container I had large enough to hold the 32 ounces of liquid.  It came in handy, since I ran the blender for a few seconds to mix up the sludge.  I don't know if it always comes out like that.  The liquid didn't taste good, but it wasn't horrible.  When combined with water, the liquid pretty much tastes just the way it smells.   I plugged my nose and took a few gulps, but it didn't help, since the taste lingers for a little while after.  It has a tea-like taste mixed with a molasses flavor.  I didn't notice anything today nor did I experience anything different.  I did however have a splitting headache all day right above my right temple that has been pounding, I don't know if it has anything to do with the cleanse or if I may be dehydrated due to it.

Day 2
The headache is still here! It comes and goes throughout the day.  I am still not used to the taste of the cleanse but it isn't bad enough to stop.  I still have yet to feel or notice anything different. The liquid also came out half sludge again today.

Day 3
I'm going into New York City today so I drank about 1/3 of the liquid this morning before I left.  Again I mixed it in my blender for a few seconds to dissolve the sludge-like consistency. I haven't noticed any side effects.  When I got home I drank another 1/3 of the liquid and then had the remaining throughout the rest of the night.  My headache came back for a little while tonight.

Day 4
I bought a bigger water bottle that can hold all the liquid.  I poured in the cleanse this morning and again it was half liquid, half sludge.  I am thinking that it is always like this.  I added the 32 ounces of water and shook it up.  Shaking it vigorously seems to dissolve the sludge just as well as the blender did.  I am getting used to the taste and it doesn't bother me as much.  It does have a little stinging/ sour after taste almost like you get when drinking an alcoholic drink.

Day 5
I'm convinced the sludge mixture is normal now since that's what it is everyday.  Nothing really big to note today.  I am however a bit curious since I have not had any "cleansing" type effects yet from this cleanse.  If anything I am actually having the opposite effect.
 
Day 6
Today I traveled into NYC again, this time to check out the Brooklyn flea market and grab lunch.  I drank some of the cleanse throughout the entire day.  Today I started getting very uncomfortable.  It started as we were leaving the flea market and heading to brunch.  My stomach started to rumble and cramp up.  At brunch was when I was the most uncomfortable with intense stomach pain.  It lasted about an hour or two then, dissipated.  

Day 7
Today was the last day of my "cleanse!" I was so used to the taste of it by now that it really didn't bother me.  What I noticed more was the sour/burning after flavor.  Still am getting headaches. I have still yet to get any type of "cleaning out" type of reaction from drinking all 224 ounces of this brown water.

All in all I'm not sure how I feel about this cleanse.  I would like to think that great things took place inside my body over the last week, yet I have no proof that anything did.  I never experienced any type of "cleansing" effects but instead my body reacted in the complete opposite way.
I was planning on sticking to an all fruits and vegetable diet during the last week, but as the events of my week took shape it was impossible to do so.  I didn't worry though because I had been told by my friend who has done it and sold it to me that I can go about my day as normal and eat normal, and just add in the cleanse to my regular diet.  So I'm sure something has to have happened.
I also did not lose any weight from the cleanse.  I actually gained weight.  I am sure however that if you do stick to the fruit and vegetable only diet while on the cleanse and workout 30 minutes a day you will lose weight - you would have to from the diet and exercise alone.
In the end I didn't really gain anything from it but also didn't experience any awful effects.  I have noticed however that my energy level is almost non existent. It was a fight to do anything this last week.  I did stop taking my multivitamin and supplements the last week while on the cleanse because I didn't know how it would all react together, so that may have had an effect as well.
 
I may in the future try it again when I am able to keep a only fruits and vegetable diet for a week.

The Power of Words!

Taking On A Cleanse!

I have decided to try the Arbonne Essentials 7-Day Body Cleanse.  My friend is an Arbonne consultant and has done the cleanse in the past.  I received the cleanse today which consists of a concentrate that is to be mixed with 32 ounces of water and consumed throughout the day.  I am hoping that it will help me to become more healthy and assist with my weight loss efforts.

 I was a little disappointed in the information that comes along with it. The packaging basically says how to consume the cleanse and that it helps cleanse and detoxify the system and support the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and assists with the gentle elimination of toxins.  It also recommends that you keep a diet high in fruits and vegetables while on the cleanse as well as drink eight glasses of water a day.  Alcohol, caffeine, processed foods, fried meals, and sugary treats are not recommended during the detox. I did hope that there would be a little more information about what the cleanse actually did and how it effected the body.

I did a quick search online and found some others who have taken the cleanse. At first I was a little scared by what I had found. Bloggers had recounted that it didn't taste very well and that they regretted starting the cleanse when they did because of the need to be near a bathroom. I started re thinking if I should do the cleanse since I work hectic days with no time to be dependent on a bathroom.

After talking to my friend who had previously done the cleanse I was re energized to take it on. I have another friend who does the cleanse a few times a year and has no issue with it. I figure that everybody has different experiences and I have to take into consideration that it is a cleanse and certain things come along with that. I have decided to start the cleanse on Monday when I don't have to work and have a few days where I am not running around. Just in case I feel the need to stay close to home and close to a particular room :)

I have been very eagerly awaiting this cleanse and hoping to get positive effects from it. I have never done a cleanse before, unless you count the 6 hours my co workers and I did the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup cleanse a few years ago. What also made me want to try this cleanse is that you are not starving yourself and sustaining on liquid for a week. The cleanse is taken along with your regular meals. Its like a little extra boost. Another tip I learned was not to down the liquid down every morning, but instead to drink it throughout your day. They also advise that you exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day. The manufacturer recommends 30 minutes daily of cardio activity such as running, cycling, swimming, tennis, or brisk walking.
The purpose is to purify the body of toxins, though weight loss is a common side effect. Websites say that if you complete the 7-Day Detox while maintaining a good diet and exercising regularly, you can realistically expect to lose five to six pounds.

I start tomorrow.. Stay tuned..

Ingredients in the Arbonne 7-Day Body Cleanse include:
     Astragalus root extract improves immune function
     Astragalus Fucoidan extract improves immune function
     Milk thistle protects liver from toxins
     Aloe vera relieves digestive issues
     Nettle leaf detoxification of chemicals
     Cascara sagrada natural laxative
     Buckthorn colon cleanser
     Slipperly elm bark relieves inflammatory bowel conditions
     Meadowsweet natural antacid
     Agave natural sweetener
     Inulin promotes colon health
     Chlorella broken cell removes toxins
     Blue green algae antioxidants
     Spirulina whole cell algae vitamins, minerals, amino acids
     Nori-sea weed vitamins
     Red marine algae boosts immune system
     Senna leaf extract natural laxative
     Cascara sagrada bark natural laxative
     Rhubarb natural laxative
     Psyllium natural laxative

Is This Why French Women Are So Fit?

Warrior Dash!!

In June My friends and I will be participating in the Warrior Dash! It is the worlds largest running series. It is basically a 5k combined with an obstacle course that includes things like mud, rope courses, fire and more!! It's an incredible fitness challenge but also a benefit to raise money for St. Jude Research Hospital!

 As I conquer obstacles, leap over fire, and crawl through the mud, kids at St. Jude Hospital are fighting for their lives. They are one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases. They never deny any child care and it costs $1.7 million a day to operate St. Jude. By supporting me and donating you will inspire hope in the children who need it the most and their families.

PLEASE HELP BY MAKING A DONATION!!

It's simple and easy, just click on the link below. Every $1 counts and no donation is too small!! Thanks so much!

Click To Donate

You can check out more about the Warrior Dash here

or go to www.Warriordash.com to get involved too!
This is done all over the country all year round!