I was perusing Artfire for a few gift ideas a week or so ago and noticed all the variations of good ole St. Nick.
I found him on necklaces and stickers and on cards he appeared, along with woodcarvings and canvas he was created just right . Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the Jolly Elf was adorned on buttons too!
So, without further ado, I present to you….Santa Claus!
Wow, it sure has been awhile since I last posted. Where does the time go?
Anyway…between work and family and house chores and holiday parties and…I digress, how do you find the time to drive all over town looking for those perfect Christmas gifts? Well, on this gorgeous Saturday, I have the perfect solution for you…Handmade Saturday! What is it you ask? Well, let me tell you…
It’s a wonderful way to shop without leaving the house and dealing with multiple stops, empty shelves, bad weather and grumpy drivers and… you can even shop in your pajamas! (won’t bother us a bit 
) There are hundreds of shops coming together to offer you some great sales on handmade items! So CLICK HERE and come join in on the fun!
Not only will your shopping experience be stress free, but you will also be purchasing unique and often one of a kind (OOAK) gifts while supporting local and small businesses.
And while I have your undivided attention…I am offering 25% off my entire Artfire Studio* for today only…Handmade Saturday!
*You do not need to create an account to shop on Artfire*
I hope to see you there!
For years I have been oblivious to the products that I was putting in and on my body; if it smelled good and looked good, then I figured it was okay.
Even after being diagnosed with breast cancer a little over 6 years ago with both of my oncologists unable to provide a definitive cause (no family history and BRCA negative), I continued to ignore the fact that I could be putting myself at risk every day. It wasn’t until this year, after researching the causes of a malfunctioning adrenal gland, that an alarm went off in my head.
Could my favorite bath and body products, along with food and over the counter drugs, be contributing to my adrenal gland malfunctioning and could it have been a contributing cause of my cancer? The not so simple answer…possibly. The probable cause…parabens.
Simply, parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl) are preservatives that are used in cosmetics, along with food and drugs, to prolong the shelf-life of the products and to protect against microbial growth. They sound helpful, don’t they? Well, keep reading…
According to LiveStrong.com, “Colby College’s Clean Makeup website reports that parabens can mimic estrogen and disrupt the body’s hormone system. Cornell University reports that a high lifelong exposure to estrogen can increase breast cancer risk. Estrogen, and synthetic chemicals that act like estrogen, play a role in stimulating the division of breast cells and affect other hormones that stimulate breast cell division. Your body does not easily break down synthetic estrogen, and it can accumulate in fat cells, including breast tissue. In 2004, a study by the University of Reading in the United Kingdom found concentrations of parabens, particularly methylparaben, in human breast tumors. The study examined only the presence of parabens in the tumors but did not determine that they were the cause of the tumors.”
Even though the FDA believes that there is “no reason for consumers to be concerned about the use of cosmetics containing parabens”, I just don’t think it’s worth the risk. Why? Three months after removing all bath & beauty, food and drug products containing parabens from my daily regimen, I had repeat lab work completed. The results? My adrenal gland is back within normal range.
Some might call it a coincidence. I call it investing in a healthy future.
