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1 // RE-BALANCING YOUR HORMONES AFTER WEANING IS CRAZY.
I’ve been either pregnant or nursing since 2006 and this is the first time I’ve ever been neither. Nobody warned me that there would be so many physical symptoms post-weaning! Oh man, it’s been crazy: I had headaches, tiredness, mood swings, ridiculous acne, minor anxiety…I’ve been at the mercy of my hormones and had to hold on tight to the ride! It took a little over three weeks, but I’ve finally started to feel more like myself again.
2 // I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND A NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS FOR ME.
Last year, I tried Primal Pit Paste and it made my underarms raw and red. I kept using it for awhile, hoping it was just a “detox” period, but never saw an improvement. I chalked it up to the fact that maybe I was sensitive to the baking soda? Fast forward to this month when I was in the market for a new deodorant and thought maybe I’d try a natural version again. This time, I went with Tom’s of Maine and while I didn’t get any itchy redness, I stunk. Like high school locker room gross. So I’m back to the drawing board! Frustrating.
3 // THERE IS A DIFFERENT NAME FOR THE MOON EVERY MONTH.
Seeing June’s Strawberry Moon on the calendar sent me on a Googling rabbit trail that led to the Farmer’s Almanac. According to the website,
Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their full moon names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the full Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names.
Fun fact: July’s full moon is known as Full Buck Moon because this is normally when a buck’s new antlers push out of their foreheads It is also sometimes called Full Thunder Moon because of the frequent thunderstorms around this time of year.
4 // I NOW KNOW WHAT RIP CURRENTS LOOK LIKE.
I have lived on the East Coast for most of my life and been to the ocean many times, but shamefully never knew what a rip current looked like! This photo made its way around Facebook and I’m so thankful it did. The more you know…
5 // I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND I’D LIKE TO CHANGE THAT.
I read Killers of the Flower Moon about the Osage Tribe early in July and regretfully realized that my knowledge in this area is lacking. I want to change this! I’ve just added Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Empire of the Summer Moon to my hold list at the library.
6 // YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN THE RECYCLING.
I’ve never actually done this, but apparently they clog up the sorting machines and employees then have to physically get up there and pull them out.
7 // I MAY WANT TO BE A POSTPARTUM DOULA WHEN I GROW UP.
The first few months postpartum are such an exhausting, fragile, and emotionally raw time. Because of my personal experiences with my own babies, I am especially passionate about this, although I’ve never really known what to do with that passion. Helping my cousin with her new baby sparked something unexpected in me. It was an honor to give her an extra hand, a few tips and tricks, and a little extra sleep. Maybe being a postpartum doula is in my future someday?
What did you learn this month?
ugh, finding the right natural deodorant is tough! One of my sisters liked the Kiss My Face kind, and I've been using this one for a couple of years:
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Tidings-Deodorant-Strength-Protection/dp/B00EOB0042/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1533321452&sr=8-2&keywords=green+tidings&dpID=41w5-GUcflL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
and am happy with it, but there were two I tried before it that just did NOT work for me. It's hard to spend the money when you're not sure how your body will respond to it!
And postpartum doula sounds like your blue flame!:)
That's exactly it – I hate spending the extra money if I can't use it! Thanks for the recommendations, I look into those next.
Hello! I found your blog through the 7qt linkup and have really enjoyed clicking around and reading your posts! I'm going to follow your lead and look more into full moon names – it will probably interest my moon-obsessed 4yo! I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee years and years ago. It is truly an excellent read, but also a devastating one. So much tragedy.
I'm so happy you found me, LeighAnna!
The Farmer's Almanac link above has the entire list of full moon names – they really are so interesting!
I make my own deoderant but have heard many great things about this one….https://www.nativecos.com
Is it hard to make your own? Do you have a special recipe? Tell me your ways, Mary!
So many good takes here. 1. Yes being in the not pregnant and not nursing stage is weird. I was there for a while between 3 and 4. Ok so cool about the rip tides!!! And lastly, I feel so bad because I’ve totally put plastic bags in my recycling! 🙈🙈🙈.
I mean, it makes sense to put plastic bags in recycling, right? But I guess your best bet is to find a spot (like your local grocery store) that specifically collects them. Who knew?!
I love this roundup of what you learned! Great idea for a post. I also want to read Killers of the Flower Moon–I have very limited knowledge of Native American history too and I'd also like to remedy that.
Killers of the Flower Moon was so eye-opening for me. I definitely recommend it!
I have tried all natural deodorants under the sun. The absolute best recommendations I have ever received for natural deodorants came from the Cup of Jo blog: https://cupofjo.com/2018/04/do-i-smell-funny-for-real-this-time/ if you scroll to the bottom of the post there's another post she did on natural deodorants. These women are high-end New York city women reviewing this so a) they cannot small funny and b) New York City does get warm haha! I think it is important to change up your brand every once in awhile because your body just gets used to one over time. I think that is true even of antiperspirant deodorant. I am currently using Kopari this summer and it has worked very, very well.
Thank you so much for the link! Who knew finding a great natural deo would be so difficult? 🙂