I recently found out that you should make your own hummingbird nectar instead of feeding the store bought red dyed hummingbird food. I had no idea that red stuff was actually bad for them! I wanted to talk about hummingbirds, why they need a more natural nectar and give you that recipe today.
I've always had hummingbirds in my backyard. Every summer I hang the feeders out for them and they grace us with their beauty all season long.
A few years ago my mother-in-law went to an event that had a speaker who talked about hummingbirds. She brought home a sheet of paper that detailed lots of fascinating hummingbird facts.
- Hummingbirds beat their wings at a rate of about 70 beats per second
- They eat an average of 7 times per hour.
- Hummingbird feet are only used for perching, not hopping or walking.
- A hummingbird can visit up to 1,000 flowers per day and remembers where they all are!
- Hummingbirds migrate, some going all the way down to cross the Gulf of Mexico!
There was so much more information but those are just a few of my favorites. (for more information check out the hummingbird info website) There was also information about feeding hummingbirds and it suggested that we not buy premade food and instead mix our own about twice a week.
I had never heard of such a thing! I always bought those quart jugs of red 'hummingbird syrup' and poured it in the feeder. In my defense, I
didn't know better! I thought
that's what they were supposed to eat.
I found out that the best things for them is simply a homemade mix of sugar and water. No red dye stuff, no flavor sticks to add in (I was buying them mango flavor sticks for their hummingbird juice) just plain sugar and water.
It's so simple!
Did you know that Earth day was started in 1970? Every year people all over the world celebrate Earth Day by making small changes in their lives that hopefully have a positive impact on our planet! More than a million people take part every year! If you want to take part in Earth day there are festivals and events all over the world you can attend.
You can also take part in Earth day at home and there are lots of positive changes you can make in your home and your lifestyle. In celebration of Earth Day I have compiled a list of 15 easy changes you can make to stress the earth just a little less, and hopefully enjoy it more.
Changes to make for Earth Day
1) Place buckets under your gutter spouts or runoffs to collect rainwater for gardening.
2) Learn to grow something you buy. Herbs are very small
and can grow on windowsills, but they are super expensive for those tiny
little bunches at the grocery store. Seeds are about $1.50, buy a pot from the
dollar store, get soil from your yard = money saved and plants are so good for the air you breathe inside the house.
3) Buy a wide mouth reusable water bottle and ditch the
disposables! A wide opening is important so you can clean it easily. You can get
a baby bottle brush to clean it from the dollar store. If you must have
filtered water get a Brita water bottle. They are not expensive compared to a couple cases of water!
I have always had a good amount of gelatin in my diet. I like it in your typical Jello form but also in my favorite candies, other desserts and even soups. It wasn't till I looked at my diet closer that I found exactly how much gelatin I usually consume, and how often.
I had seen a mention on an Instagram photo about the benefits of eating gelatin. The photo claimed it was a diet food and was good for hair, skin, nails and joints. I decided to research it.
I found so many amazing benefits that I decided to give myself a challenge. I decided that I would eat gelatin in some form every single day for 3 months and then assess my results.
I was pretty impressed after 3 months, but my 5th month just finished and I am absolutely in love with the results!
What is gelatin?
Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), flavorless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing.
Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. (source: Wikipedia) According to WebMD:
Gelatin is used for weight loss and for treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and brittle bones (osteoporosis). Some people also use it for strengthening bones, joints, and fingernails. Gelatin is also used for improving hair quality and to shorten recovery after exercise and sports-related injury.
Have you ever tried Argan oil? I had heard a lot about organic Argan oil and how it is amazingly moisturizing for hair and skin, but I hadn't gotten around to trying it till recently. I like using natural products as much as I possibly can and I use things like coconut oil, sweet almond oil and pure shea butter on a daily basis. I had heard so many good things about Argan oil, so I wanted to give it a try and see if it lived up to the hype.
Argan oil comes from the nut of the Argan tree which only grows in Morocco. These trees can live up to 200 years, but they don't produce nuts until at least 30 years old. That's a long time to wait! Argan oil is rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids and is said to be good for skin and hair. It's often called "liquid gold" because of its rarity and healing properties.
Argan oil comes in 2 forms: culinary oil and cosmetic oil. It all starts with the nut inside the fruit of the Argan tree, but it's the processing method that makes all the difference. The oil I got is a cold pressed cosmetic grade oil.
In doing some reach I had read that Argan oil had many uses for hair, skin and nails. So that's how I used it. Here are my favorite uses:
