http://naahf.com Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:20:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en Luxurious Winter Bathing http://naahf.com/luxurious-winter-bathing/ http://naahf.com/luxurious-winter-bathing/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:31:32 +0000 Karen Ritchie http://naahf.com/luxurious-winter-bathing/ This is a perfect time of year to begin thinking about pampering yourself with long luxurious baths.  What better way to warm up than with a bath and warm drink right before bed. Add a few candles and you have your own home spa.

 

One of the most wonderful skin softening recipes for bath salts I’ve seen is also the simplest.

 

Mix together 3 cups Epsom salts and 1 cup baking soda. That’s it.  Keep it close by and put ¼ cup of the mixture in your bath and swish it around so it dissolves well. 


If you would like fragrance, add a couple of drops of essential oil directly to the bath right before you get in.  Lavender is one of my personal favorites, but almost any essential oil will do. If you aren’t sure about a particular scent or oil, do a quick skin test to be sure you won’t have a nasty reaction. But, never put an essential oil directly on your skin.  Always dilute with water or an inert oil, like almond oil, before letting it touch your skin.

 

If you’re giving this as a gift, you can add the essential oil to the salts mixture, about 2 tablespoons of oil works well.  Be sure to keep this in a pretty bottle or tin with a large opening, since the oil sometimes causes the mixture to be more firm and not free-flowing. A small decorative scoop tied on with a ribbon makes this a great gift.

 

Feel free to share your bath mixture recipes.

]]> http://naahf.com/luxurious-winter-bathing/feed/ Whole Foods Market Helps Local Producers http://naahf.com/test-post/ http://naahf.com/test-post/#comments Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:26:42 +0000 Karen Ritchie http://naahf.com/test-post/ Looking for a small loan to expand your hobby farm income possibilities? Whole Foods Market may be able to help. Through its Local Product Loan Program, Whole Foods makes low-interest loans totaling $10 million available to small local producers. Whether you grow crops, make value-added food products or some other all-natural grocery item, the Whole Foods loan program may just be the ticket you need to help fund your dream.

Loan recipients must:

  • Meet Whole Foods Market’s Quality Standards
  • Use funds for expansion (e.g., buy more animals or new equipment/infrastructure, expand crops), not operating expenses
  • Meet Whole Foods Market’s Animal Compassion Standards (if meat or dairy producers)
  • Have a viable business plan and adequate cash flow to service debt.

Whole Foods has recently provided loans for organically grown produce, flowers, bath products made from local ingredients, and a pasta sauce maker to expand his line of organic pasta sauces.

If you’re looking to expand your hobby farm and need a little financial help, check the Whole Foods Market Local Product Loan Program at http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/locallygrown/lplp/index.html.

It could make all the difference.

To your farming success,

Karen

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