Soy Melts a Healthier Alternative?

As times goes on and knowledge is gained,  I find myself more and more making little lifestyle changes. An example of this was the switch from margarine to butter.  Years ago a friend was going on and on about how margarine is a molecule away from a yoga mat - or some such thing -  and I remember doing a little research and read enough to agree (even though I did not want to!) -  the change was made and we never looked back.  Once one knows the truth -  it is hard to ignore.  Especially, if the health of the children is involved.

We love candles and before we had children a trip to a very well known candle store was a weekly thing.  Then the babies came and kids and open flames do not mix - as any parent knows.  So candles became a thing of the past.  Then the plug in wax warmer came on the scene.  Next a direct sales company took the wax melt industry by storm.  All those amazing scents for every mood and occasion.  Yes please!!!

Then a friend (not the margarine = yoga mat friend) starting going on and on about how we (and the kids) were breathing in petroleum or some such fuel derivative.  That most candle and wax melts are  paraffin (a product of petroleum refining from the waste when crude oil is refined into gasoline). Lovely right??!!  So once again I really did not want to hear it - I love my wax melts!!  more than I loved my margarine.

However the voice of reason raised its ugly little head and I did some research.  Ever wonder why when you blow out a candle in a jar there is black soot and residue left behind - remember that very distinguished "just blew out a candle" smell? Well that is what happens when one is burning a crude oil by product.  Melting paraffin in a warmer is also releasing all that unhealthiness into the air for the family to breathe in.  I encourage everyone to do their own research and draw their own conclusions.  That direct sales company I eluded to before is doing some serious damage control so there can be some confusing information on the net so check your sources.

So that brings me to my alternative -I did not want to give up my love of scents.  So we switched to soy melts.  The scent lasts so much longer than paraffin wax and my family can breathe easier with a natural product.  We love soy melts so much we now make our own. 

Have you made any lifestyle changes after learning something was harmful to your health?  Please share - I might learn something that causes another change here too!

Getting Back in the Saddle

So much has happened in the last year.  Long story short we had to move to a new property due to a less then honest real estate deal we were in with a local mortgage company.  After consulting attorneys we realized that we needed to follow the painful but realistic advice to walk away from our little farm.  Lesson learned - even if the other party is in breach of contract it can require more in resources to enforce it than it may be worth in the end.  So we are now on a smaller piece of property and starting over from scratch. It was very difficult to dismantle what we had worked so hard to build.  Depressing in fact and I really lost heart for quite a while.  However, I am pulling up my bootstraps and getting to it!

Due to close proximity of neighbors we will have no roosters, so instead of chickens we are getting ready for Pekin Ducks!  We had them before and loved them.  Duck eggs are fabulous for baking and Pekin is also a great meat option.

We are also slowly rebuilding our rabbitry - we currently have a New Zealand doe that has been bred to a Sinatra buck - so stay tuned for kit updates.  We also have a small herd of pedigreed Lionheads - 2 does have been bred and we should have some Show Quality kits.

Our 3 little boys have a small herd of cavy (guinea pigs) also pedigreed  - so we will eventually have some Peruvian babies :-)

Half of the new property is being cleared by "Mr. Clover" and it is going to also require many loads of clean fill but we are working on one area at a time.  The new bunny barn is first priority and will be done within the month.

I apologize for starting this blog and not sticking to it.  I intend to be more diligent from here on out!