We recently went on a vacation for a few days - something that we have not had for nearly 3 years.  It was such a wonderful experience to get away and to enjoy the majesty of Yellowstone Park - my favorite place on earth.

Though we deliberately did not have an agenda, we found much to do and went several places just to enjoy nature and wildlife.

There is something therapeutic about spending time away from work and the normal day in out life that we become accustomed to.

Now, I believe I can get back to the tasks at hand now that my soul has been filled.

My we all enjoy the little things in life and realize that there is beauty all around.  You just have to realize it.

This is our signature soap.  It is called Phoenix Fire.  It is hand-crafted with the colors in our logo and the scent is just a hint of so many things - not too powerful, but just enough scent to make you feel happy in the shower.  This technique is called Cosmic Wave Swirl.  Let us know what you think of it.

This is a new technique that I am learning called Intaglio Soap.  It is my first, so even though it looks like a child did it, it is much more difficult to carve on a soft bar and keep the lines crisp and clean.  This was a challenge that I enjoyed.  I look forward to the next challenge.  What are your challenges that you are struggling with?

Sometimes as you go through life, it takes a major change or a move to help you to realize that you just need to declutter, not only your life, but your physical world as well. 

Such an event happened to me recently.  After transferring to a new position in my company, this required my husband and I to move to a new state.  I had no idea just how stressful this would be until we began to start packing up our former home and its contents. 

We were told that it would take 2 semi trucks to load all of our stuff.  I knew we were in trouble.  Needless to say after much pain and emotional suffering, we downsized to 3 - 26 foot U-hauls (which was still a huge amount of stuff!  But we got rid of so much stuff. 

When we moved into our new home, I began to get rid of even more stuff.  We took load after load to our local donation center.  I sold or gave away tons of stuff on our local facegroups, and after living in our new home slightly over a year, I have begun to de-clutter even more.

One of the areas that I am working on is my recipes.  When I began my journey of learning to make personal care products, I searched for and kept every recipe that I could get my hands on.  Now, after nearly 20 years later, I am getting rid of literally thousands of recipes.  I am keeping ones that hold value or ones that I have made that I know to have beneficial properties to them or ones that we enjoy. 

I started this journey a week ago, and I have already trashed 4- 3" binders full of recipes.  I am getting rid of paper, and saving valuable recipes to my computer with backups of them on a regular basis.    I can't begin to explain what a good feeling this is to get rid of the "crap" and have room for a more open and clean life.  Decluttering - it's not just for everyone, just for those who want to be happier in life!

Wow, that makes me want to declutter!

Freeze drying is quite an adventure!  I have completed a multitude of batches and each one is like opening a present.  It's exciting to see how the freeze dried food turns out and how it will taste.  Then there are things to think about; will I reconstitute it or eat it as a snack?  Should I package it in Mylar for long term storage or put it in glass jars for shorter term storage.?  So many decisions to make!

Some of the fun things I have freeze dried are Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Yes, Ice cream!  They turn out to be a delightful snack.  I cut them into 9 bite sized pieces and then freeze dry them.  My family and friends really like them this way. 

Another fun item is Watermelon.  It was more of a novelty thing.  The sweetness is intensified and the texture is sort of like Styrofoam, but it is definitely something unique. 

Grapes are another nice snack.  Any kind fruit is really good and veggies are so easy to rehydrate in meals.  I am still working with meats, and I really like the way that they turn out.  Hamburger, chicken, and beef are all that I have tried thus far, and I am pleased with how they are turning out. 

As I progress, I will post pictures of some of the things that I am freeze drying.  Until next time, I can't wait to see what I will freeze dry next!

I went to a green smoothie girl class recently in Idaho.  Robyn Openshaw, the orginal Green Smoothie Girl discussed her life story about changing her dietary habits and chaning her health from poor to superior.
If anyone wants any further information, be sure to check our her website (chek our favorite links page). 

If you are considering dietary changes at all, we suggest that you begin with supplementing your diet with nutritious green smoothies.  .  You will be amazed at how much better you will feel by beginning

This is a blog that is devoted to health, nutrition, and generally improving life.  It is not meant to be for any negative actions, posts, or anything else other than to inform and have a positive impact.  Feel free to add questions, comments or suggestions for what you would like to see here.