Small Things

May 24, 2013

Today’s giveaway is from Summer of Butterbean! Summer just happens to be one of my closest friends, so it’s great fun to get to introduce her and the amazing products she has created here! I absolutely love Butterbean sunscreen. It is perfect for sensitive skin, and really filled a need for my family. Beatrix has very fair skin and is sensitive to even the “natural” sunscreens available at the store. Butterbean is the first sunscreen that I can actually use all over her face, even around her eyes, without a reaction. It’s amazing really. Of course we use it on the whole family, and love having a safe product for babies, but I am especially grateful to have an effective and non irritating option for sensitive little Bea. Oh, and I should add that it rubs in nicely and completely, and doesn’t sit on the surface of the skin looking thick and pasty like some zinc oxide based sunscreens do. Now, I’ll stop writing, and let Summer introduce herself and share the story behind Butterbean:

Thank you for your interest in Butterbean! I got the idea to make my own sunscreen when I was pregnant with my fourth baby. I grew up in a health conscious family, so I became used to questioning ingredients from an early age. I was the kid eating sprouts on my crumbly homemade sandwich while the other kids peered at me over their Lunchables box with squinched up noses! It embarrassed me at first, but I soon realized that my mom made these choices because she wanted the best for me.

I grew up in Florida so sun protection has been drilled into my brain. I wanted to have a sunscreen that I could pronounce all the ingredients! After research and trial runs, I came up with a sunscreen that seemed good on all skin types and made my family and friends happy in the sun!

I think the greatest thing about my products is the ingredients. I use the very best ingredients from the most reputable suppliers. My coconut oil is certified organic, fair trade and raw (which preserves the beneficial components). The Shea butter is certified organic and sourced through a company in VT. The owners go to Africa to buy Shea from the local women. This ensures fair wages and conditions as well as understanding the process from start to finish. My favorite is the beeswax. I just love the guy who sells it to me. Anyone who can speak bee has got to be pretty intuitive and have a big heart. The beeswax smells like warm liquid flowers, and what the bees have been eating determines the color of the wax (as well as the color of the sunscreen). Sometimes it is creamy white and sometimes it looks like eggnog! My apricot kernel oil is free of chemicals, and my vitamin E is from a company that makes a pledge against GMO’s.

I am excited to offer 2 new products this season—Bug-a-boo bug spray and Butterbean lip balm! My favorite lip balm is Burt’s Bees because it has the perfect amount of peppermint and a nice texture. I have modeled my lip balm after it. You will have to let me know what you think! My children do not like peppermint lip balm. They claim it is “too spicy.” So, I made a flavor with them in mind. I use pure, steam distilled essential oils of sweet orange, lime and grapefruit to give a smooth warm feeling that is perfect for moisturizing lips!

Bug-a-boo bug spray is a safe and effective way to keep pests (not people) away. Bugs despise Neem oil so that is a significant ingredient in our bug spray. Neem has a garlicky smell that is not overwhelming when paired with citronella, lemon grass, cedar wood, and peppermint oil. Bug-a-boo feels soothing and fresh on the skin.

I must say that Butterbean would not be up and running without the help of my family! My husband, Thomas, has created the images and color scheme. My children help tape boxes and place stickers. They also wait patiently when their mother is running around blending sunscreen or making their house smell like a citronella candle. Thank you all for your support and encouragement!

For today’s giveaway Summer is offering one winner 1 3oz sunscreen and a peppermint lip balm, and a second winner will receive 1 gift package including 1 3oz sunscreen, 1 bug-a-boo, and 1 sweet citrus lip balm.

Summer is also offering a 10% discount on all orders placed through May 31. Use the code BUTTERBEAN at checkout. Be sure to “Like” Butterbean on Facebook, and you can also follow Summer on her blog!

For your chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post. Comments will close and a winner will be randomly selected on Sunday, May 26. The winner will be announced within this post.

Thanks, Butterbean!

Daisy Days

May 23, 2013

The cicadas have gotten so loud it seems unreal. It will be strange when their songs fade. A friend told me the story of a year when her dad used a snow shovel to move them off the sidewalk. They aren’t that thick here, but then, we are surrounded by forest, and after the cool of the morning passes, they head for the trees. This morning I was sitting on the back porch talking to my sister on the phone when Seth walked out with a grin on his face, opened his mouth, and a live cicada came tumbling out. He howled with laughter. Later, passing the computer, I saw on the screen a recipe for Cicadas with dumplings. Unfortunately for Seth, the recipe wasn’t gluten free. Keats mentioned a rhubarb and cicada pie. I said, “No.”

I’ve been struggling just a bit to keep my head above water lately. I’m tired of course, and there’s no catching up. “Stop trying to catch up. It’s silly.“ (I talk to myself.) I’ve been tempted to succumb to stress. It’s far better though to call my girls, head outside, and walk away. We pick daisies. Later, I put them on the counter, next to the dirty dishes. The dishes get loaded after every meal, but somehow there are always still dishes in the sink. It’s weird how that happens.

For me and for our particular family dynamic, trying to get on top of everything is like running in a hamster wheel. I’m not a particularly bad housekeeper, and my older kids have plenty of chores, but the reality for our big homeschooling family, is that this life of ours is messy (maybe really messy.) Most of the time I cope with that just fine, despite my history. When I was a kid, I didn’t clean my room, I rearranged it. It never got messy to begin with. I alphabetized my books. I craved order and cleanliness. When Jonny and I were first married, we shared our two bedroom apartment with a friend of his, to save money on rent. His friend, Jaime, was neat and tidy, and by all means, a great roommate. However, at the time, I didn’t see it that way. Next to our front door, there was a small table with a mirror hanging over it. Jaime decided that he wanted to add a little decorative touch of his own there, a small print of a guy on a skateboard. He tucked that little 5 x 7 into the base of the mirror. I promptly removed it. Next time I went to class, he put it back, and as soon as I returned, I pulled it out. It became a silent war. Jaime soon moved out. He couldn’t tolerate my crazy, and I couldn’t tolerate what that little picture did to my sense of order.

Ha! And now I have six kids, the seventh on the way, all in a little old messy house. I sure didn’t see that coming, but God knows exactly what he’s doing with me. I’m so glad for this life rather than the one I was planning. My husband describes himself as a “free spirit.” Rather than fight his nature, I usually just try to be a free spirit too. Sometimes that’s very hard for me, but I’m happier this way as long as I let myself be.

Thank goodness for daisies. And for knitting. Oh, and perspective. And the ability to set our own priorities. And for kisses from my nearly two year old baby, to distract me from his great big messes. And for little road trips, and surprise gifts in the mail. For those rare days when the house is mostly clean, if only for five minutes. For boys practicing the piano, and roses on the fence.

I don’t focus on the messes, because I don’t want to miss all the good parts.