Natural and Easy Teeth Whitening

When people ask me if I whiten my teeth, I never really know how to answer... I don't use a whitening product, but I do have a system to clean my mouth and whiten my teeth at the same time (which is really a plus). 

Kind of awkward to explain, I simply oil-pull. Oil-pulling involves one ingredient, coconut oil, and ideally 20 minutes of commitment a day. As far as I know you can use any kind of coconut oil, and you can do this whenever it's convenient. 

All you have to do is melt a spoonful of oil, or if it's summer like right now, take it right out of the jar already melted, and swoosh it around in your mouth. 20 minutes of swishing is great, but you can do whatever works for you and build your way up. I will say, it can be gross at first and taste weird, but you get used to it. You can brush your teeth afterward, but it's not necessary. When I oil-pull, my mouth tastes cleaner than when I brush, and prevents yucky morning breath if I do it before bed. Ideally you want to pull every day, which really isn't difficult, but you can do it at different intervals depending on your needs/goals. 

You do not want to swallow the oil, because as you use it, it is pulling toxins out of your mouth and gums. Also, when you spit it out afterward, you want to spit it in the trash and not the sink/drain, because when it sits it hardens and will clog the drain over time. 

That's it! Super simple. While I like how the oil thoroughly cleans my mouth, it really does whiten my teeth as well. You can find many links and resources for more information on Pinterest or Google, but this is the basic gist of it. 

Have fun!

xoxo,

Katie

1 Step Wart and Mole Removal

As awkward as it may be to talk about, everyone gets moles and/or warts (or not, but most people have one or the other).  

I have had a few moles throughout my life, but only a couple that are in a bad spot when it comes to accidental scratching- that is painful. I also have a large-ish mole in the middle of my back that I've had most of my life that I am currently in the process of trying to get rid of. I've only ever had two small warts, one on my finger and one on my knee. Neither bothered me, so I actually just ignored them for a long time until someone told me of a super easy way to remove them, which I recently learned works for moles as well! Yay!

I tried duct tape, didn't work. Take-home freeze kit, didn't work. BUT, apple cider vinegar works, for warts and moles. A link I read said it had to be Bragg's, but we got the cheap-o kind and it works fine.  It seems like apple cider vinegar works for everything. 

I'm speaking from personal experience. 

All you have to do is soak a cotton pad in the apple cider vinegar, and place it on top of the wart or mole with a band aid or athletic tape (I used athletic tape for a couple days because I didn't want to waste band aids, but it irritated my skin). Leave it there until the cotton pad is mostly dry, and replace it again. The more consistently you leave them soaking, the faster they will be gone (though you may want to let them breathe for five+ minutes in between). When I did this with my warts, they were gone within a few weeks. My moles are taking a bit longer because they're are on my back/shoulders which takes a smidge more effort. 

As the apple cider vinegar soaks into the mole/wart, they will become crusty, almost like a scab, and maybe a bit tender to put pressure on. I wouldn't worry about this. DO NOT scratch them off until it barely hurts to do so, or they will bleed because they weren't ready. Or just leave them to fall off like we were taught as kids. 

That's it! Super easy, and inexpensive. Hope it works out for anyone who needs it! :)

God's Loving Spirit

As I was reading in Isaiah the other day, a passage jumped out at me: 

"I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel." ~ Isaiah 57: 17-18

In the beginning of the chapter, God is talking about all the ways the people of Judah have gone against Him with lying, lusting, worshipping false idols etc. 

He asks them, "Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?...When you cry out for help, let your collection of false idols save you!" 

Talk about a dig. Yet, despite God's anger and hurt from being ignored by His people,

He goes on to say, "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." 

God chooses to walk with the people who are humble and lowly and weak in spirit; He values the ordinary, simple, and modest. God wants to strengthen us, to heal us, and to comfort us when we are lowly and weak. He is hurt when we sin against Him, and when we ignore His will and instruction for our life. But that doesn't make Him love us any less; our disobedience doesn't erase His grace and compassion. 

 "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him...And I will heal them." 

God wants to heal us. He wants to help us. He wants to hold us up and give us strength. And He wants to comfort us, and show us where to go. He doesn't care about our mistakes. 

Even when we walk away from Him, He waits for us. He has seen our sin, and our past, and He loves us anyway. All we have to do is draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). 

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear." (Isaiah 59:1)

God hears your prayers, your cries, your praise. He's reaching out His arm to save you. And He will do it:

"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it." ~1 Thessalonians 5:24

He will do it. <3

New favorites

Went to a few yard sales this morning, and I found my new favorite pieces of clothing. Seriously, last year at this time I knew overalls were making a come-back, and I actually got a pair, but they were actual (original ;) ) overalls, and not extremely cute. But NOW I have these!! And they fit perfectly. Am I technically still part of this trend, or is it too late? Either way, I'm loving it.  And for $2 each you can't go wrong. 

They also make a very handy cat carrier. ;) 

Monday Funday

Made it back to the gym this morning- thank goodness- and focused primarily on legs, because I am able to focus more on my arms at home during off-days. Got in almost everything I wanted to do in an hour then had to pick up my brother from Cross Country practice.

 

All of my names/labels may not make sense because I tend to make up my own. But feel accomplished and fit, and thankful that I'm healthy. 

After a shower and lunch, mom and I did a couple errands- OH! Okay. There is a very attractive new guy at SAM's club. But I have dibs so don't even think about it. ;) Jk, but seriously. He made the whole trip much more pleasant. 

Poppy and I (and Perry the Platypus) spent a few minutes outside reading while mom planted some Hydrangeas. It's a beautiful day out, and if I'm honest I spend too much time inside. I just started reading Sarah Dessen's new book Saint Anything. I love all of her books and am excited for this one. 

There's something about working out early in the morning that makes me starving all day... *the struggle*

Got to enjoy our new grill this beautiful evening by cooking turkey burgers. And we have a new addition to our family, Pierpont (anyone know that name? ;) ). He is feeling very patriotic. 

I'm going to go eat and read through my new Teen Vogue, because I'm still starving and duh I have my new Teen Vogue. 

Have a great night:)

xoxo,

Katie