Health and Wellness

Beauty Health and Wellness

Beauty Samples

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read539 views

Today I received my first beauty sample from Birchbox.

According to the website, Birchbox is the leading discovery commerce platform, redefining the retail process by offering consumers a unique and personalized way to discover, learn about, and shop the best beauty, grooming, and lifestyle products on the market. Birchbox is a $10, monthly paid subscription. You can earn points (by shopping, referring friends, and giving feedback on your samples). Those points are redeemable for saving and purchasing of the full-size versions which are available on their website.

Based on your survey answers during sign up, you will receive every month, products picked specifically for your beauty and grooming needs. You may cancel your monthly recurring subscription at anytime, if you so choose. Inside the gorgeous and well packaged box, they are beautifully wrapped samples and a card with a descriptive list of the products in the box.

My Birchbox included the following samples:

– Juicy Couture signature fragrance
– Mox Botanicals Lip Butter (Pomegranate & Fig)
– Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo
– theBalm® cosmetics Hot Mama (Shadow & Blush All-in-One)
– Tweezerman Filemate
– $50 off a dress rental from RentTheRunway.

Birchbox Samples.

YvesRocher.com is another website which offers product Samples. For $3 (plus shipping) you can get a 15-Piece Sampler Collection of their best-seller products.

Yves Rocher 15-Piece Sampler Collection.
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JM Perez By JM Perez
Health and Wellness Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening

Deadly Beauty: Toxic Plants

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read4.9K views

Contrary to yesterday, today is a beautiful day (still a little windy, but manageable). I’ve been out watering some plants in the backyard when I stopped and took a good look at my Oleanders. What a terrific, yet toxic plant! The plants bloom beautifully in the Summer and they are appealing to the eyes. These deadly beauties were here long before we bought our home and we’ve talked about getting rid of them and/or replacing them. We are all very conscious of their presence and our kids will tell you that ‘Oleanders are deadly and they must not go close to them.’ Still, we always keep an eye on them whenever we are outdoors. Then I thought about my Daffodils.

What about Pheasant’s Eye, Lily of the Valley, Jimson Weed, Poison Ivy, Rhododendron, Jerusalem Cherry, Hydrangea, Mistletoe, Lantana, Mountain Laurel, Dumbcane, Wisteria, Chrysanthemum, Delphiniums, Belladonna, Foxglove, Ranunculus, and Spathiphyllum? These plants are poisonous. Some cause  delirium and hallucinations. Most of us gardeners love them for their beauty, bright colors and fragrance. We care for them without knowing exactly what we are dealing with. Still, we love them. Below is a list of toxic, deadly plants (just to name a few).

Image Source: BHG, io9, Wikipedia, MNN, F1online, Whatafy, Britannica, BCLiving, HorticultureWeek.

Click here, here and here for a list of poisonous plants.

Toxic Plants.

Aside from their poison and toxicity, some plants are dangerous. Take Poinsettia for instance. Though non-toxic, its latex can cause an allergic reaction to some individuals when coming in direct contact with the plant. What about Roses? Their thorns could cause serious injuries to anyone who come in contact with them. Some Cacti and Succulents are dangerous, even poisonous, click here for more information. What about those beautiful house plants/air purifying plants? Some are dangerous to kids and pets.

Some plants can cause discomfort, others can kill. The good news is that we can prevent it by being informed. Once you know what you are dealing with, you will be ready, aware and prepared.

I compiled a list of Safe/Non-Toxic Plants here .

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Health and Wellness Weather Gardening High Desert

Trimming The Mulberry Tree

EPEngineer By EPEngineer2 min read1.7K views

Today we decided to trim our fruitless Mulberry Tree.

The Fruitless Mulberry Tree as opposed to Fruit Bearing Mulberry Tree is fast growing and less messy as it does not produce fruits. Mulberry trees in general have large and dense leaves with a large spreading head that provide full shade over wide areas. They prefer full sun (though partial shade works fine too). Plant these trees away from sidewalks, driveways, septic tanks, swimming pool, sprinkler system pipes, foundations, etc! Their strong roots are invasive and will damage almost everything on their path in search for nutrients.

Trimming The Mulberry Tree.
Trimming The Mulberry Tree.

Every year, after the tree goes dormant, we trim the branches to maintain a desirable shape. We removed broken, dried and damaged branches from the tree to keep the tree healthy. We removed excess interior tree branches to help increase air flow throughout the tree and we pruned the top branches to train them into spreading. We are very careful as not to ruin the natural structure of the tree by severely cutting back its branches. These trees are great in providing shade and are heavily planted here in the High Desert.

Click here, here and here to learn about Pruning a Fruitless Mulberry Tree.
Click here and here to learn about Trimming a Fruitless Mulberry Tree.

In addition to their roots evasiveness, fruitless Mulberry Trees produce pollen and catkins, which will wreak havoc on allergy sufferers. Click here, here to read more on Tree allergies and how to fight back.

We also removed the sandbox and covered the hole with dirt.

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EPEngineer By EPEngineer
Vegetables Fruits Health and Wellness Strength of The Small

Fighting and Disease Preventing Foods

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read595 views

I started actively reading about Cancer Fighting Food in 1997 when my Father was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and my research intensified in 2011 when I found out that my former neighbor was in her final stage of Cancer. They are so many disease fighting and preventing foods out there. For this post, I am only naming a few. Click on each one of them to learn about their health benefits (and possible side-effects, if any).

  • Soursop Fruit
    I fell in love with this Juicy fruit back in 1990 without knowing it benefits and without knowing what it was called then. I later found that it was called “Corossol” (its French name).  If I am not mistaken, I believe we had two Soursop trees growing in our front yard and I remember my Mother urging me not to eat too much and too fast. It would be great to have a few trees around here, from the Sweet Soursop.

How to Make/Use Soursop Tea (Source: Nature Chemo Care)

Boil 1 liter of water, then take 15 Soursop matured leaves (fresh or dried ones both have same effect) and 1 small stem cut into small pieces and put into the boiling water then continue to boil the water on medium flame for 30 minutes, until the water evaporates to 600 ml. Now the Soursop tea is ready to drink. Drink 1 cup (200 ml) filtered Soursop tea after cooling or warm, 3 times every day, in the morning, afternoon and in the night. For better taste you can add some honey (not sugar).

After drinking, the body feels the effects of heat, similar to the effects of chemotherapy but no side effects. In 1 or 2 weeks time you can feel the benefits of Soursop yourself, and in 4 weeks time the improvements can be checked with the doctor.

Note: every time you drink Soursop tea see that 30 minutes before and after, you don’t take any other food. Do not use it during pregnancy. Do not use in large single dosages and avoid long-term use.

Click here and here for additional information about this fruit. Click here for some delicious Soursop Fruit Recipes.

S.O.T.S. Divider

Source: OneGreenPlanet.org . MDAnderson.org . AllHealthNet.com.

Click here, here and here for more information on Disease Fighting Foods.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Fall Health and Wellness

Allergies: Aches of Fall

EPEngineer By EPEngineer2 min read785 views

Are you experiencing symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, itchiness, watery eyes, headache, migraine and cough? I know I am since Fall is the reason for the sneezing.

As the excitement build up to enjoy the colors of autumn foliage, we have to keep in mind that the season brings with it weed pollen and other allergens carried by the winds. Fall has always been the return of allergy season from Spring and here in the High Desert, our main contributor to these allergies are the ragweed, sagebrush plants.

Image Source: Shutterstock.com.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com.

Here are some measures you can take:

  • As the mornings start to get colder, we need to remind ourselves that sweaters and pull-overs are our best friends. They keep us warm until the day catches up to us and can easily be removed once the heat catches on. I love the feeling of the cold air in my face and knowing that my pull-over is keeping the rest of my body nice and warm.
  • Get rid of the weeds around your home during the summer months to eliminate the sources of pollen around you.
  • Inform the school about your child’s allergies so that they can be aware of his or her symptoms as they arrive and warn you to take steps to help your child thru this.
  • Tell your children not to share food with anyone since that child may be already sick or perhaps on the verge of getting there.
  • Encourage your kids to change clothes and wash hands when they return from school.
  • Hand Sanitizer/Disinfectant will go a long way in helping disinfect commonly touched surfaces.
  • Always wear a facial mask when conducting any outdoor activity.
  • Keep your windows and doors closed at all times.
  • Purchase a high efficiency Air Purifier to filter, trap and hopefully remove these allergens from the air (dust mites, mold spores, pollen, etc!).
  • Remove the wet, fallen leaves around your home as soon as possible the formation of mold.
  • Change your air conditioner and furnace filters at least once a year.
  • Stay indoor as much as you can.
  • Talk to your doctor as soon as you have concerns.

You can read more about these allergies here.

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EPEngineer By EPEngineer