American Girl Birthday

We enjoyed the weekend traveling North to Atlanta Georgia

to the American Girl Doll store.

One of the first things you need to know about the store that it

isn't technically in Atlanta, it is in Alpharetta, GA.

Alpharetta is a beautiful suburb that is about 20 minutes

outside of downtown Atlanta.

The American Girl Doll store is in the North Point Mall,

which is filled with wonderful stores.

All I can say is that this mall is filled with Fabulousness

like Aveda,  L'Occitane En Provence, Justice,

Kid’s Pottery Barn and much more.  

We celebrated "Destiny’s 11th Birthday"

in true American Girl doll style.

We stayed at the Residence Inn Marriott located on the

edge of the mall’s parking lot, just a short walking

distance to AG entrance.

The hotel was filled with little girls and their dolls.

Plus, each night the hotel played

a American Girl movie with popcorn,

lemonade and cozy pink bean bags chairs.

We hung out, shopped,

enjoyed a snack at the American Girl Bistro

with Desitny’s dolls,

got McKenna’s hair done at the salon

and shopped some more.

We even found some time to explore the

Big Creek Greenway, we took a walk on the

paved pathway that follows the course of Big Creek.

The wooded area was a great retreat away from

hustle and bustle to enjoy nature.

Oo-la-la, we had a wonderful time.

Happy Birthday Destiny. :o) 

Cold Relief Bath Soak

Believe me, when I say that it takes a great deal to slow me down.

Last week some type of yuck cold flu bug thing hit me hard.

I had to take long afternoon naps for two days and

found myself in bed very very very early each night.

I say, who has time to sleep when there are so many

creative things to make lurking about on Pinterest.

I know you, know what I mean.

I am on the mead but this nasty cough is still hanging on

with some congestion in my chest.

Perfect timing to share my

Cold Relief Bath Soak recipe with you.

Cold Relief Bath Soak Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups Epsom Salt

3 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil 

2 drops Rosemary Essential Oil 

Instructions:

Combine the ingredients together and 

pour into the flow of your warm bath water.

Epsom salt contains magnesium, which has been shown to; ease stress,

lower blood pressure, relax, help headaches and relieve pain.

Rosemary Essential Oil added to your bath, can assist with

congestion, muscular aches, cramps, pains, stiff neck, colds, constipation,

coughs, bronchitis, back pain, sinusitis, physical and mental fatigue.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil is perfect to add to a hot bath

because it is effective for treating a cold, cough, running nose, sore throat

and nasal congestion.

Bye, Bye for now my bath and bed are calling me.

Thanks for stopping by.

Smiles, Paula

Pin It

DIY Dishwasher Soap

This is a recipe that is revisited,

my original blog post is here.

In my last post the recipe says to use white vinegar

for a rinse aid during the rinse cycle, 

but I would often forget and my dishes would 

come out cloudy. Plus I found
my dishes to have a 

slight undesirable vinegar smell. :( 

I find this updated recipe to work much better,
my dishes come out sparkly clean 

and smelling fresh like lemons.

Homemade Dishwasher Soap

2 cups Borax

2 cups Washing Soda

2 Packets of Sugar Free Lemonade Kool-Aid

½ cup of Citric Acid 

A few Drops of Lemon Essential Oil 

Mix all ingredients together and store in a container. 

To use: Place 1 Tablespoon in the main wash compartment.

Don’t miss out on this month’s blog giveaway.

Enter Here to win two bars of my Lavender Rosewood.

:)

If you like this DIY recipe and want to see more,

please consider becoming a follower of my blog.

You can subscribe using the Google Friend Connect widget,
Linky Followers widget, or signing up via email.

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles, Paula

     Pin It

March’s Blog Giveaway

Now it is time to announce “March’s Blog Giveaway”.

This month I am giving away two bars of

Lavender Rosewood Soap.

Bathing can be a true aromatherapy experience

with these handmade soap bars.

Not only will it add a natural scent to your bath or shower,

it will offer the advantages of pure tropical oils that moisturize

and provide the unique healing properties of essential oils.

Contains lavender, rose and ceder-wood essential oils.

How to enter this giveaway

complete any or all of the following steps:

• Follow me on Twitter at PaulaParrish and Tweet about this giveaway.
• ‘Like’ us on Facebook at NaturalGardenSoaps and then leave a comment on our wall about this giveaway.
• Simply leave a comment on this post or any other post during the month of March.
• Share this giveaway on Twitter and/or Facebook and/or your blog.  After you do so please come back here and leave a comment telling me that you shared this giveaway.

Good Luck!
Drawing will be March 31st!!!
Please remember to leave a way for me to contact you if you win, I prefer an email address.
PLEASE NOTE: Must be US resident.
Smiles, Paula

         Pin It

February's giveaway WINNER.

Now the day has come to announce this month blog giveaway WINNER.

I am happy to announce the winner of “Fabulous February Giveaway”, which includes two bars of my handmade Mucky Seaweed Soap.

The WINNER is Amanda Olson a fellow Florida girl. She is a creative gal who enjoys eco-living, photography, crafting and food. Visit her blog at alifeofpeaceloveanddiapers.blogspot.com. Take a minute and leave her a comment congratulating her on being the WINNER.

I just wanted to shout out a BIG thank you to all my precious followers and everyone who entered to win this giveaway.  I love hosting these giveaways once a month, and I am crazy about the opportunity to share with others my handmade soaps and organic bath products.

Congrats!  Amanda Olson I will be sending you a email ASAP!

No worries if you didn't win!
I have another fabulous giveaway to be posted soon for MARCH!
Smiles, Paula

{ acres of funky junk }

Last week I spent four days in Fort Mead, Florida at Flywheelers. I setup my booth early Wednesday morning with my hubby’s help to sell our handmade soaps and organic products. My hubby is unbelievably supportive, which was great, since I drag him across Florida without much given notice. I consider myself an adventurous spirit and love taking trips exploring around the state of Florida. Last week’s event was so awesome filled with over 240 acres of crafts, antiques, vintage tractors and flea market items.
Here are a few photos of things that caught my eye, when exploring the acres after acres of funky junk.

Oh, Yea! Believe me it is not hard to find things that you just can’t live without and need to take home. I purchased a vintage suitcase for a dollar, a complete set of four vintage Pyrex bowls, eco friendly fabric sandwich bags, a handcrafted coat rack made of old barn wood and many more vintage trinkets. I love all of my new vintage and handmade goodies.

We had a fantastic week. I returned home with only a few bars of soaps, almost completely sold out of our stock. Which is super, super exciting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t miss out on this month’s blog giveaway.
Enter Here to win two bars of my Mucky Seaweed Soap.
The WINNER will be announced March 1st. Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you like this post and want to see more, please consider becoming a follower of my blog.
You can subscribe using the Google Friend Connect widget, Linky Followers widget, or signing up via email.
My shout out goes out to all the lovely followers, Thanks of following along.
:) Smiles, Paula

DIY Chocolate Face Mask

Yummy! I love chocolate.

We all know that chocolate is good for the heart but did you know that chocolate is good for your skin. Cocoa is high in anti-oxidants that help reverse the effects of aging skin and helps improve the overall tightening of the skin.

After I use this mask, my face is glowing, plus it is super soft and firm.
Love It! :)

DIY Chocolate Face Mask Recipe:

½ Cup of Cocoa Powder
½ Cup of Sour Cream or 1/4 Cup of Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons of Oatmeal
3 Tablespoons of Honey
Mix all the ingredients with mixer till it forms a thick batter. Let the mask sit for about 5 minutes. It looks just like chocolate cake batter and smells like yummy chocolate pudding. During this time you may be tempted to taste a small bite. :) Which is completely ok, hey even let the kids lick the bowl clean. Then simply apply evenly all over the face and let dry for about 15 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel. Store the remaining mask in a small jar in the fridge to use later.

Cocoa

High anti-oxidants cocoa can

repair skin cells and prevent cell damage.

Cocoa increases hydration, calms and soothes skin.

Honey

Honey is a naturally healing moisturizer, full

of natural enzymes and vital nutrients, such

as vitamins C, D, and E,

to leave skin soft and healthy.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal with its rough texture makes it an excellent

and gentle exfoliate.

Sloughs away dry, dead skin cells to make

way for fresh, healthy skin.

Sour Cream

The lactic acid in the sour cream soothes

and softens your skin.

Plus help moisturize, while at the same time

tightening wrinkles and refining pores.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t miss out on this month’s blog giveaway.
Enter Here to win two bars of my Mucky Seaweed Soap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you like this DIY skincare recipe and want to see more, please consider becoming a follower of my blog.

You can subscribe using the Google Friend Connect widget, Linky Followers widget, or signing up via email.

Shouting out a huge “THANKS” to all of my lovely followers.
Smiles, Paula

   Pin It

Why Use Natural Soap?

Before I started using handmade natural soap, I often wondered why my skin felt so itchy after a shower? I would simply dismiss it without giving it much thought and rub on lotion. Three years ago I noticed a rash on the back of my daughter Destiny’s legs, so I started to research about commercial soaps vs natural soaps.

Ever since, I have been hard at work reading books, watching YouTube videos, researching and learning everything I possibly could about natural handmade soap.  I started to soak up so much information about aromatherapy, exotic butters, nourishing oils and wonderful healing botanical ingredients found in nature.

Shortly after finding out what is in most commercial soaps, I started making my own handmade soap. Our household quickly ditched our Ivory and Dove bars. Now, I feel so good knowing that when I hop out of the shower, my skin is super soft and moisturized. Best of all, Destiny’s rash is completely gone. Plus, I feel so pleased that I have deduced possible health risks to myself and my family from exposure to toxins like; parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, phosphates, artificial colors, artificial fragrances, harsh chemicals, mineral oils or petroleum products.

I know that I am not alone, many of you are looking for a more natural alternative in skincare. That’s why I have decided to make my own natural soap. I truly believe that when one decides to buy handmade natural soap which is commonly more expensive than cheap commercial soaps. This saying should ring true; “Cheapest is not always better.” In terms of one’s health we all deserve only the best and most natural ingredients.

Commercial soaps are normally made in large factories (out of the USA) using the cheapest ingredients; such as synthetic detergents. Commercial soap making companies commonly remove the glycerin to be used in higher end lotions and pricey cremes. Glycerin is a natural by product of the soap making process and is considered a “super moisturizer”; with my natural handmade soaps, the glycerin remains intact.

My passion for high quality handmade soap lead me to start Natural Garden Soaps.
My soaps are 100% natural made up only of natural ingredients, such as olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, beeswax, organic oatmeal, honey, exotic butters, organic garden herbs, Vitamin E, and essential oils. Essential oils are natural because they are extracted from plants and flowers, as opposed to article fragrances which are synthetically made by man. I love the smell of essential oils. I find the aroma of essential oils to be light and not heavy like article fragrances.  Woo-zers! The aromatherapy benefits from the essential oils in my handmade soaps are truly amazing. I love it!
My goal is to share my handmade soap and knowledge with others. Thanks for listening to my soap rambling and yes I could go on, and on, and on. Trust me!

If you like these natural living tips and want to see more, please consider becoming a follower. You can subscribe using the Google Friend Connect widget, Linky Followers widget, or signing up via email. :) If you are already a follower of my blog, Thanks. You are the BEST.
Don’t miss out on this month’s blog giveaway.
Enter Here to win two bars of my Mucky Seaweed Soap. 
Smiles, Paula

Lavender Sea Salt Scrub DIY

It seems that every time I turn around it is someones birthday.

Or I just want to give a gift to let someone special in my life

know that I am thinking of them. :)

I love giving handmade gifts that I know will be appreciated and used.

Every Mom needs a little me time, myself included on that list.

I love to end my day with a hot shower and lavender aromatherapy.

Yea, life can get crazy.

Destiny’s best friend recently moved about 35 minutes north

of our home so play dates have not been as often as they had been.

Even after we played cards, went to the mall, watched a movie.

I keep hearing from her can you please drive me to Lexi’s house

or “Mom, I am really bored.” Yes, some me time is in order.

I love the way my skin feels super soft after a gentle rub with this lavender sea salt scrub.

Lavender Essential Oil has the ability to remove

nervous tension, promote relaxation and relieve pain.

I simply love It!

To make your own, first choose some containers.

Old jelly jars, canning jars or plastic containers with lids.

I am using 8 oz. half pint wide mouth canning jars.

You can find the ingredients for this salt scrub at your local health food store.

If you can not locate sunflower oil, feel free to use any other

natural oil like sweet almond, avocado, or olive oil.

Lavender Salt Scrub Ingredients:
18 ounces of Fine Sea Salt
2 ounces of Sunflower Oil
2 ounces of Vegetable Glycerin
1/2 Tablespoon of Lavender Lavender Essential Oil
1 Tablespoon of Dried Lavender Buds
Simply mix all of the ingredients together to make this fabulous lavender sea salt scrub. Spoon your scrub into your container and whaa-laa you are done.

I am going to use one myself tonight, the scent is absolutely heavenly.

I have a date to hop into the shower tonight and forget about

the pile of laundry, my endless “To Do List” and enjoy some me time.

Don’t miss out on this month’s blog giveaway.
Enter Here to win two bars of my Mucky Seaweed Soap.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Smiles, Paula

Pin It

{ Get Ready, Set, Salvaged }

I would like to introduce you to a Lady who does “Cottage Chic Farmhouse”

style like no one else does.

She sells her lovely items on Etsy, her goodies are all about

distressed painting, vintage trims, old wood, salvaged items,

beautiful detail and that wonderful time aged appearance.

Hi to all! My name is Linda and I am thrilled to be here on

Paula’s blog “Living a Blessed Life” with all of you!

I have a passion for old, salvaged wood.

Yep, I am one of those that will stop on a dime if I see

a pile of wood either along side the road or in someones yard!

My daughter hates to ride with me as you can imagine.

I love vintage hardware, old mirrors and frames

and weathered garden decor.

My items are handmade and cut out piece by piece. Sometimes,

I have no idea of what I am making until it is completed.

I hope you enjoy my handmade items

and please take the time to visit

my store on Etsy at Cottage Home Decor.

Paula, thanks again for allowing me to hang out on your blog.

 

I hope that you enjoyed meeting Linda.

Don’t miss out on this month’s blog giveaway.

Enter Here to win two bars of my Mucky Seaweed Soap.
Smiles, Paula

February Giveaway

Now it is time to announce my
“Fabulous February Giveaway”,
In honor of my beautiful Florida beach
that is just a short mile away from my home.
I am giving away
two bars of my handmade Seaweed Soap.
I picked up the seaweed for this soap from
my local beach.
What could be better than ingredients found in nature?
Seaweed is an excellent additive to handmade soap
because it is filled with essential vitamins
and anti-oxidants for your skin.

 
Enter here with Rafflecopter:)

{valentine’s lavender sachet}

Oo-la-la! I am super excited to share a project with you that

I just completed for Valentine’s Day, a heavenly lavender heart sachet.
My entire home now has the sweet, intoxicating scent of lavender.

I am sharing my Valentine’s Lavender Sachet tutorial with you!

 

Woo-Who! Let’s get busy.

Cut scrap fabric strips into various sizes from 1”, 1 ½”, 1 ¾” tall x 8 wide.

Quilt the pieces together into a fun pattern to create a square roughly 8” x 10”.

Download Pattern.

Here!

Select a fabric for the back of your sachet, I used a white fluffy chenille.

Cut the front and back of your fabric into the heart shape from the pattern.

The hearts should be 6 ¼” wide x 8 ½” tall.

Cut a red ribbon 11 inches long.

Pin to the right side of the fabric, then sew

a small stitch at the top to tack into place and remove pins.

Pin the hearts together with the right sides in and sew leaving a

2” opening on the left bottom side for filling with lavender buds.

Turn your heart right side out and fill with lavender buds.

Stitch the side closed and embellish your heart with

buttons, ribbon, pins and flowers.

Whaa-laa! Done! Finished!

 

Happy Valentines Day!
Smiles, Paula

Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting my blog.