Introduction to Label Reading on Cosmetics and Food
One of the things I’ve had to learn how to do over the past few years is read ingredients labels, and I started with packaged food. For people with sensitive systems (like me) it’s important to monitor what we consume. I’ve also had to accept that the things I put onto my body, like lotion,...
The Naming of Norse Folk
The naming of kids is a difficult matter. It isn’t just one of your holiday games… ~ T.S. Eliot’s A Practical Book of Cats (sort of) I’m so excited! Our illustrious webmistress and esteemed friend had a baby this weekend! Pass the Topo Chico! Mom and son are in perfect health and everything is looking...
Homeopathy: What Is It and Where Does It Come From?
Last week I mentioned that stress caused my skin to go crazy. Not fun! I was itching SO BADLY that I spent an entire day surfing the net for potential remedies. I found several sites on homeopathy and how apis (bee poison) and urens urtica (stinging nettle) can be used to cure it, so when...
DIY Destressers
I’ve had STRESS this week–the kind that makes you see red and feel blue all at once. I apologize for being unable to discuss the whys; other people’s business is not for me to air on the interwebs. But I have literally broken out into an itchy mess over it. Not okay! What’s a princess...
Jax Makes Soap!
Interesting things I’ve learned about soap… Soap is what happens when you mix melted fat (animal or plant) and lye (either sodium or potassium hydroxide). The original lye used in soapmaking was ashes from a hardwood tree (although I’m guessing what you buy at the store isn’t made that way anymore). If you make soap...
Poppin’ Tags Like a Princess
I love thrift store shopping. I’ll get back to that in a moment. As part of my quest for detoxing my house and gorgeous routines (some people may have beauty routines, but as a princess, I have a gorgeous one 😉 I’m learning how to make my own soap. As a side note, if you...
Jax’s Detox Home Challenge
I’ve decided to try phasing out new-fangled (20th Century and later) chemicals in my house by replacing my cleaners and personal care items with homemade equivalents. I want to do this both as an environmental and health measure, but as a cost saving measure as well. For quite a while now we’ve been exchanging hard-core...
Janus, January and No Resolutions for Me in 2014!
*My apologies for the late post. Family and holiday craziness has kept me from my computer. This post is a slight alteration of a post I made for Here Be Magic.* January is named for the Roman god Janus (said yon-us). My introdution to Janus came from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when the evil Ethan...
It’s the Most Wonderble Time of the Year
Wonderful + horrible =  wonderble. Yule is wonderful because I get to see my sister, who lives out of state. Yule is horrible because <deep breath> the fragile routine I’m working hard to build gets chunked out the window while additional responsibilities are piled on and hundreds of extra decisions must get made–like presents; I...
Disney’s Frozen–the power of love, family and courage
I was planning on skipping Frozen for several reasons. I saw (and wrote a review) of last year’s biggest holiday children’s fare, Rise of the Guardians, which TheScott and I took our foster daughters to see. I am a fan of good animated movies, but the idea of going to Frozen reminded me a little...
Pope Francis–A New Catholic Crusade (that I like!)
“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” ~Pope Francis As regular readers know, this princess married into a Catholic family. The Pope matters to me not just...
In 2013 Jax Gives Thanks for…
This has been a rough year. But I think it’s important in times of strife to remember that life still has plenty of good things in it, too. So this year, despite me being a grumpy princess, I will give thanks for… TheScott. I can’t imagine life without you, my dear. You are a blessing,...
