3GH Coming to Motherhood Maternity

We are thrilled to announce that 3Girls Holistic will soon be available at Motherhood Maternity stores nationwide!

Keep your eyes peeled for one of our new products, soon-to-be released Tender Tush Treatment, at your local Motherhood Maternity store! 3Girls Holistic’s Tender Tush spray is a soothing and healing combination of herbal extracts that provide relief for the discomfort associated with hemorrhoids and postpartum perineal swelling, inflammation, and wounds. Just spritz this 100% natural spray liberally to affected areas, to speed recovery of the perineum following childbirth and/or to help the healing process of hemorrhoids.

Favorite Product Giveaway

We are so excited and honored by those of you who have chosen to use 3Girls Holistic products to care for your skin!  We know that you have so many options to choose from, and  wanted to take a moment to say Thank You!  We’d also love to hear what your favorite product is and why.  Please leave us a comment for a chance to win it!  We will randomly pick from the entries on Monday 3/25/13, and post the winner on here.

Natural Shoe De-Odorizer

Oh my! I had no idea that little kids could create such smelly shoes! Seriously, I’ve implemented a no-shoes-off rule in the car because my son loves to take his shoes off, and when he does it’s as if Walter the Farting dog has made his way into our car Side Note – if you have kids and haven’t read that book, you should definitely check it out, it’s one of our favorites!

Recently I made up this shoe deodorizer that we spray in their shoes (hubby’s too) to help fight that nasty smell. I keep it right next to where we take off our shoes when we come in the house so that it’s within easy reach. My kids now think it’s quite fun to “de-stink” their shoes each night

Ingredients

• 2 cups distilled water
• 15 drops melaleuca essential oil
• 15 drops thyme essential oil
• 15 drops lemon essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle.  Spray into shoes each night, or as needed.

Healing Oil for Ear Infections

With the increasing problems associated with over-prescription of antibiotics, I believe that one of the most under-utilized solutions are herbal remedies for common ailments.  Ear infections are the most common reason that children are brought to the doctor, and anti-biotic therapy is the most common prescription given to treat them.  However,  time and time again studies have shown that over 85% of ear infections are not bacterial related, which means that anti-biotics won’t do a bit of good.

So what do you do the next time your little love, or yourself for that matter, begins to complain of an earache? Reach for your natural remedy toolkit and treat it naturally!

Garlic, mullein flowers, and olive oil combine to make a powerful blend that not only eliminates the infection, but also relieves the associated pain.  The medicinal use of garlic dates back over 5000 years.  It is widely recognized as having antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties.  It is one of my go-to measures during cold and flu season – swallowing a raw clove daily can do wonders at keeping illness at bay!  Mullein is another of the oldest known medicinal plants and has been used to treat a wide array of illnesses.  It is native to Europe, but now grows wild throughout the US.  During summer months, you can cultivate your own, otherwise check out your local herb store, or a trusted online supplier such as Mountain Rose Herbs.  Because Mullein flowers can sometimes be hard to come by, I recommend keeping a small amount on hand at all times for when the need for it arises.

What you’ll need:  

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons mullein flowers
• Extra virgin olive oil

• In a small saucepan or double boiler, combine the garlic and mullein flowers.  Add just enough olive oil to cover the herbs.
• Warm over very low heat from 20-30 minutes
• Strain well – using either a fine mesh strainer or a piece of cheesecloth over a bowl.
• Store in a tightly sealed glass jar (make sure it is sanitized and completely dry before adding the oil)
• Keep in the refrigerator between uses

Direction for use:

• Warm the oil to room temperature.  This is best done in a teaspoon or small glass bowl (think ramkin) held over a stovetop burner or candle.
• Using a dropper, suction the oil and place 3-4 drops into the ear.
• Massage the outer ear and around the base after applying the oil
• Administer every 30 minutes or as often as needed.
• Keep a small cloth or paper towel near the ear to catch any excess oil that will naturally drain out on its own within a few minutes.

Mullein Flower

Simple Cough Syrup Recipe

If you or one of your loved ones happens to come down with a cold or the flu, and an accompanying cough, you’ll be happy to have this simple recipe on hand to help soothe the throat and alleviate the bothersome cough.  It’s a simple syrup, both in ingredients (most of us have them at home already), and in preparation.  Can’t ask for more than that for an at home healing remedy!

The honey thins mucous secretions, preserves the syrup, and soothes a raw, irritated throat.

Thymol, the volatile oil found in thyme, is antiseptic, antibiotic, and has expectorant properties.  It is often found in conventional cough syrups.  German medical herbalist Rudolph Fritz Weiss, M.D. says this of thyme:  “Thyme is to the trachea (windpipe) and bronchia what peppermint is to the stomach and intestines”

Ingredients

• 1 Cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme or 4 tablespoons fresh thyme
• ½ cup raw, organic honey

Directions

• Pour boiling water over the thyme, cover and steep for 20 minutes
• Strain thyme out of the water
• Add honey
• Warm the tea over low heat to dissolve the honey, if necessary
• Store in a glass bottle with cap or cork
• Take 1 tsp as often as needed

* This syrup should keep for a several weeks if stored in the refrigerator, or other cold, dark location.

How to Make an Herbal Syrup

Herbal Syrups are likely the tastiest of all herbal preparations.  They are concentrated herbal extracts that have been combined with honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener to give them a thick consistency and sweet taste.  Kids love them, and because of that they are one of the best ways to prepare herbal remedies for children.  Herbal Syrups also make great sore throat soothers and cough syrups.  While somewhat time consuming to prepare (you have to wait for the liquid to reduce over low heat), they are easy and will save you quite a bit of money over store bought preparations.

To make an herbal syrup you will need the following supplies:

• Two ounces of dried herb (weight, not volume)
• 1 quart of water
• A medium-sized saucepan or double boiler
• Small-medium colander or strainer
• Cheesecloth
• Medium sized bowl
• 1 cup sweetener of choice.  Options include: honey (raw organic is best and most nutritious), succanut, agave nectar, maple syrup, or vegetable glycerin.
• A sterilized jar with a small neck and a good lid or cork.  (You can often find 
lots of these at places like TJ Maxx and Ross)
• 2 tablespoons Brandy or Vodka (optional, to help preserve)

Directions:

1. Combine the water and herbs in a saucepan, and simmer over low heat until the liquid has reduced to about 1 pint.
2. Using a small colander or strainer lined with cheesecloth, strain the herbs from the infusion over a bowl.  Once the liquid has all seeped through, bring the ends of the cheesecloth together and squeeze out any remaining fluid from the herb.  This ensures that you get all of the valuable properties out of the herbs and into the syrup.
3. Pour the liquid back into the saucepan, and add the sweetener.  Warm over medium heat until thoroughly mixed.  If desired, you can simmer the mixture over medium heat for 20-30 minutes for a thicker consistency.  However, this will cause some of the living enzymes found in honey to be killed off.
4. Add alcohol, if desired.
5. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
6. Pour into your bottle and label.
7. Syrups will last for several weeks, often months, if refrigerated.

USING HERBAL SYRUPS

A dose of most herbal syrups is 1-3 teaspoonfuls, taken as needed. Take a spoonful of bitter syrup just before meals for best results. Take cough syrups as often as every hour.

If you don’t have a local herb store, I recommend the following online retailers for your bulk herb needs:

Mountain Rose Herbs

Oregon Wild Harvest

Pacific Botanicals

Meet Melonie!

We are so excited to introduce a new member to our 3Girls Holistic team – Melonie McCoy!  She will be handling sales and marketing, as well as some PR, and let me tell you, she moves fast!  Not only is she a lovely woman and mother, but she is passionate, dedicated and focused.  There is no doubt that she will help us bring 3Girls Holistic to the masses!  We are so thankful for everything that she brings to our new and thriving company.

From Melonie herself:

Fa’ilta!  That’s Scottish Gaelic for welcome!  :). My name is Melonie McCoy and I’m the newest member of the 3 Girls Holistic team.  I’m very excited to be a part of a company with such high standards, sincere ethics, knowledge and fun!  I’m a wife and mom of two wonderful kids…my daughter, 23 years old already (geesh!) and my son who is a little over a year.  Its been amazing to get to do the baby thing again…I almost forgot how wonderful they smell and how sweet those slobbery kisses are.  My family and I became interested in eating locally and organically grown foods over the past five years and as an extension of that we found that supporting small businesses in general and staying away from the “big gun” corporations fell more in line with our morals as well.  I’m passionate about children, breastfeeding support, animal rights (we recently became vegetarian) gay rights, organic products (like ours!) and all things Scotland!  After doing years of research I found out that I’m a great granddaughter of a Queen of Scotland and a King of England.  Hey it doesn’t keep me from clipping coupons but it makes bad hair days easier to take…I just have my husband call me “my lady” those days.  Thanks so much for visiting our website and taking the time to learn about us!  Let us know if we can answer any questions for you!

Moisturizing Avocado Scrub

Avocados are a wonderful moisturizing agent for the skin and hair.  They are rich in vitamins B, E and K, and high in monounsaturated fat and potassium.  Unique among land plants, avocados contain polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), which are widely present in ocean plants but rare on land.  PFA’s are well known for their anti-inflammatory benefits.

Avocados can be mashed and applied alone as a hair or face mask, but make a great addition to many home spa and beauty recipes.  The one below can be used on your face, or your whole body for a rich, nourishing and moisturizing scrub – just what the skin needs in the heart of winter!  The avocado moisturizes, the oats moisturize and lubricate, the cucumber soothes and cools, and the almond meal gently exfoliates.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mashed ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 1/8 cup raw almonds or almond meal
• 1/8 cup oatmeal

Directions

• Puree avocado and cucumber until smooth
• If using whole raw almonds, grind them into a course meal using a blender or coffee grinder
• Combine all ingredients and mix well
• Wet your face and/or body with warm water
• Apply the scrub and gently massage into your skin using a circular motion.
• If able, leave on for 5 minutes.  Rinse well, and pat dry your skin.
• Note: it is not necessary to follow this scrub with soap.  Your skin will be left cleansed and moisturized!
• Also, use caution in the shower as the scrub can cause the floor to become slippery

Amy Talks About 3GH Day Serum on OSTV!

Wild Mushroom Soup

I’m not the best summertime cook, but when it comes to fall and winter meals, that I can do.  I love slow cooked meals, soups, stews and casseroles.  They fill my home with their fragrant scents, and make coming in from the cold such a welcoming treat!  Last night I made this wonderfully woodsy Wild Mushroom Soup, and it was a hit!  Both of my daughters (6 and 1) has seconds!  I couldn’t get my son to try it, but hey, now I get to enjoy some leftovers as I’m typing this up

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 leeks, finely sliced
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 oz fresh cremini or wild mushrooms, chopped or sliced
• 1 1/4 quarts beef broth
• 2/3 cup half and half (use can sub heavy cream if that’s what you have on hand or if you prefer your soup a bit creamier and heavier)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme to garnish (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, cover the dried porcini mushrooms with the warm water.  Allow to soak for 20-30 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the water and squeeze to remove as much of the soaking liquid as possible.  Chop the porcini, and move the reserved liquid off to the side for later use.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a stock pot until foaming.  Add the leeks, shallots and garlic.  Cook slowly until soft, but not dis-colored, or about 5 minutes.  Stir regularly.
3. Add the fresh mushrooms and stir over medium heat for a few minutes until softened.
4. Add in the beef broth and bring to a boil.  Add the porcini mushrooms, reserved soaking liquid, dried thyme, salt and pepper.  Lower the heat, half-cover the pan, and slowly simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Pour about 3/4 of the soup into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Pour back into the stockpot, stir in the half and half, and heat through.
6. Serve hot, garnish with fresh thyme, and enjoy!