It has been quite some time since I have posted here. I have been keeping abreast of things via our social media platforms and completely spaced on the blog. Forgive this brain of mine please. 

Where have I been? That is a great question. In the midst of bazaars, farmer markets and custom orders; the 2017 year found me deep in the adventures of going back to school.  It is so amazing how things came together so that I could enhance my passion of helping others.  

What have I been studying? Also a great question and you are going to love the answer. I have been pursuing getting my certification as a massage therapist.  
Did you maybe just rub at that sore spot on your leg or adjust your shoulder position that is giving you a stiff neck? It is okay if you did. I promise I am not making fun.  I find people often subconsciously do that when they hear "massage therapist".  It is because we all know that some TLC is a good thing for our bodies.

Why did I choose this field? That is the golden question indeed. As you well know from the products you already use here; I believe that every person is a beautiful and amazing treasure, worth being pampered with affordable quality.
I feel that providing therapeutic massage is part of that. It is an avenue that gives those who are in physical/emotional pain, stressed with life, wrung out from all kinds of stuff - an opportunity to be present, to shake off the stuff, to breathe, to remember what it feels like to function well.  I want to partner on a new level with helping people love the skin they are in.

What happens to your favorite Healing Treasures products?
No worries. We are still here. While I won't be setting up a tent in the farmer market this year, products are always available here on the website for mail order and local deliveries if you are close by.

As for your interest in booking a therapeutic appointment; more on that to come soon. I am currently in the works of setting up my office.

Thank you for being here and being always excited with the quality of Healing Treasures. Everything I do is with you in mind.

Be blessed in all you do this week and always remember:     You are an incredible original treasure!

Can't believe it has been so long since I shared with you here in the blog world. Things were really in the fast lane but you weren't forgotten by any means. We had so much fun doing our Christmas bazaars and that is thanks to you. You are why we do what we do in providing natural skin care products that are affordable and trustworthy.

In the midst of all our fun venues, we had a full calendar at home that included visiting all of our precious out of town children and grand children. We also celebrated in finally being able to finalize the adoption of our youngest daughter.   Then 2 not normal snow and ice storms hit our area once we got back. It was a fun and beautiful change from the usual rain in my book.
Now we are polishing the final touches to our own Christmas and want to see how you are doing. Could you use ideas on stocking stuffers or need that perfect gift that says "I love you and I care"?  We can totally help with that.
You can leave a message in the comments here requesting to be contacted or email me at HEtreasures@gmail.com.  

​Have a blessed and amazing day in all you do! 

Here is a great article I found online documenting the importance of enjoying the outdoors. Treasure yourself as well as the beauty around you. Your brain and body will love you for it.

Hiking Changes Our Brains

May your October be filled with joys and special moments in all that you do. 
And most definitely, be treasured!

Have you ever tried body butter?  If you haven't then the name might sound strange to you. “Do you wear it or eat it or cook with it?” Sometimes my market customers will ask me that very question.  And a few have even dared to timidly lick a dab from their hand because it smells so good. While there is no harm in doing so since I use only quality organic real ingredients; the purpose of body butter is more for the skin that the gut.​

The doctor’s solution was steroid creams, oatmeal baths and expensive lotion bottles that had a long list of non-pronounceable ingredients. They brought relief, for which I was grateful, but I wondered if there was more I could do.
 
Research and time led me to realize that conventional lotions have really very little to do in partnering with the body in deep natural moisturizing and more to do with masking the skin and delighting the nose with scents.  I started seeking out the idea of natural, knowing that the more basic and clean the ingredients are then the easier it is for the body to be happy instead of working hard to rid the extra unneeded chemicals. I felt it was important to put something on my babes that did not have petroleum, parabens, oxybenzone or colors and chemicals that synthetically mimicked nature.

Body butter is a fun process that does take a little bit of time, but is so worth it when you get to experience the creamy finished product.   It is much thicker than a lotion and is stored in a jar instead of a pump bottle. Its rich thickness and nourishing ingredients make it perfect to deeply hydrate and moisturize the skin beyond the normal every day softening routine.

Here at Healing Treasures, we have played around with different recipe formulas over the years for our own skin sensitivity needs and now offer 3 different types of butter. Why 3 body butters instead of just 1 type for all your needs? That is a good question. The answer to that is because we are all original treasures. Our bodies are unique and respond differently to moisturizing helps.    

I have been oil pulling for about a year now and have found that I look forward to it. My results have been that it soothes my sensitive teeth and makes flossing a breeze. My gums are a happy pink instead of rosy red and they never bleed when I floss anymore. (While regular brushing and flossing should have conquered those issues, I still gained valuable ground once I started oil pulling.)  Over the years I have battled a little bit of Candida which can show as a white bacteria overgrowth on the tongue. Oil pulling has helped me to remove that while I work on other changes in my body. I also find that if I miss a few days in a row of pulling, I am suddenly hyper sensitive to temperature changes in my food and drink. After pulling for a few days, that goes away.

A couple of my family members have had some abscess issues both with a problematic tooth and ill fitting dentures. In both cases the massaging action and bacteria fighting of oil pulling helped their bodies to rid the areas of pus and heal the delicate skin tissues.​

I know, that all might sound a bit daunting. Just keep in mind that there is no hard fast rule and whatever you can do is a step in the direction of helping your mouth.  When I first started, I could only do a small tsp of oil and I would watch the clock to push myself to 5 minutes.  Over time I have worked my comfort level up to grabbing a big spoon as I get in the shower.  I gently “chew” and work the oil around in my mouth while I am getting fresh for the day and spit it out 20-30 minutes later after I have applied my daily body butter and gotten dressed.   Once I spit it all out I floss and brush as normal and feel absolutely fabulous.

I do recommend that if you have tooth issues or an abscess that you talk with your dentist before trying this practice. Everything I write about here is meant to be a point of sharing experience and helping you to find information. Nothing is meant to be a diagnosis or suggested cure.

With that in mind, do you have an oil pulling story or a question of another nature that you would like to share here? I would love to hear from you. Drop me an email or leave a comment here.

Until next time, be blessed in all you do. You are a beautiful treasure!

If you are anything like me, you try hard to make food choices that make you feel good. But some days the sweet tooth seems to have a mind of its own.   Do I stand firm against the cravings or do I give in to temptation? I certainly don't want to pay for quick food choices so my solution is to make this awesome recipe that I found on the web several years back.  

If you are just starting out on adjusting your food choices, this may sound like a very strange sort of recipe. I know, I have been in that boat of listening to well meaning health enthusiasts say something is amazing and when I taste it I think "they haven't had yummy food in so long that they forgot what yummy tastes like."

But don’t let the idea of black beans and sweets intimidate you.  It really is an impressive treat. Truthfully it doesn't taste like Betty Crocker. But there is so much sugar in those box mixes and in most recipes in general. We can actually cut out half the sugar in just about any recipe and not notice a difference in performance or taste. That rule is especially true when dealing with basic american recipes. Here in America we are so driven by the addiction of sugar and mostly are unaware just how much we intake out of craving instead of healthy need.

I remember hosting some precious Japanese students a while back and they would constantly turn up a nose and shiver at the amount of sweet that we had in everything.
But I digress....

Give this recipe a try and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It is packed with proteins and natural goodness that will help to carry and sustain a level blood sugar pattern instead of the high and low of sugar roller coaster crashing.
Drop me a line to let me know what you think.
And as always, treasure you because we sure do.

Yummy Black Bean Brownies
 
Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large eggs
¼ cup cacoa powder
2/3 cup raw honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup chocolate chips (divide into ½ and ¼ portions)
  ` in all of these ingredients, it is better to choose organic when possible

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place all ingredients (minus chocolate chips) into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth
Add ½ cup of chocolate chips and blend for 2 seconds, just long enough to stir but not enough to chop up the chips
Pour into a lined or greased 8x8 pan and top with ¼ cup chocolate chips
Bake approximately 40 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
 
Want a fun variation? Try adding 1-3 drops of a culinary quality essential oil. Some options would be lemon, orange, peppermint or even lavender.

We are so excited to announce the debut of our new anti-aging serum Awaken.  Seriously, you should see the flips we are doing (for me it is a mental flip or I would hurt myself haa haa).

I have been working long and hard to perfect this formula. It contains a blend of essentials that are known for smoothing fine lines and encouraging a healthy skin glow. Along with that is the partnership of jojoba and hemp oil. These are "dry oils" that absorb quickly into the skin without leaving a residue behind. 

How does the aroma carry?
          It smells soft and unassuming. 
How does it feel?
          It feels like a million dollar silk wrap.
Can guys use this?
          Most definitely. This blend is sure to be a perfect addition to any treasured regiment.

​If you would like more details on Awaken, simply click here

These days, the veggie romance is quite different for me. Check out this recipe I adopted into my home a couple of years ago from Kelly over at Nosh and Nourish. She is a great recipe resource for healthy options.  Give this super easy recipe a try and see if it wins you over.
 
Honey Sesame Dressing
½ cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinse
¼ cup sesame oil
1 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP honey
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
½ TBSP minced garlic
 
Kelly suggested using an immersion stick for this easy blend.  When I first started using this recipe I didn’t have one. However, it came out beautifully by running the ingredients through my blender. That is it. Just dump it all together and blend it into a smooth rich creamy goodness.
After that, all that is left to do is to enjoy on your favorite salad.

What do you think? Doesn't this look amazing?

Do you have other ideas that you would like to share or questions you want to ask? Click into the comments or drop me a line and I will do my best to help.  

​You are a treasure and we celebrate you!