Autumn Joys 2023

What do you love about Autumn?!

For some, the season can mean increased pain, allergies, and other symptoms. So it's important for our health and wellbeing that we focus on the gifts and joys the season brings!

My list of Autumn Joys includes:
• cool breezes with warm sun
• colored leaves & the sound they make underfoot
• cosy, longer evenings
• wool sock & sweater weather
• the scent of apples cooking

This year we got on a little stroll through the woods. Amazing!

What is one [or more] of your Autumn Joys?!

Photos taken on our annual autumn drive, 9.28.23

Live & Learn Event - This Week!

Hello, Readers!

You may have noticed that some of my post graphics are labeled "@Purely.HannahMary"... such as in the previous "Be Still" post. That is because they are also posted over on my Instagram account with the theme of:

NATURAL LIVING made SIMPLER
▪︎ Clean Thinking ▪︎ Clean Gardening ▪︎ Clean Personal Care for the Whole Family

If any of this interests you, feel free to find me on Instagram @purely.hannahmary or the Facebook Page of the same name. And read on for a special opportunity for a Free Learning Event this week!

Also, I don't think I've mentioned it on this blog before (because I do not mean to make this a place of advertising), but if you are interested in help finding clean and non-toxic products for personal care for all ages, as well as clean hair care, skincare, beauty products, spa-at-home, and more - including thoughtful gifts for those going through cancer or other health struggles...

Please text my Lemongrass Spa number with the word "info". (To try avoid unwanted messages, my number is split up on the lines below.)

(218) 271

... 8677

Just before explaining the learning opportunity, I have a quick question for you: 

What do you think when you hear the words “Live and Learn”? 

Rather than the negative connotations often attached to that phrase, I love the fact that as long as we Live, we can continue to Learn!

And so I am offering a free, three-day texting event centered around Enjoying Life & Learning Together! With the goal of featuring new topics every other month, each “Live & Learn” event will include 2 days of exclusive video content I record on a variety of topics, with Day 3 saved for catching up and wrapping up.

Here is some feedback I have received from private texting events in the past:

Would you like to join one of these events?
You are invited to the first "Live & Learn" this week! 
• Wednesday–Friday, September 27^th – 29^th 

This month’s topics (shared via videos, under 10 minutes each) are:
• Why Ingredients Matter + Clean Swaps for the Whole Family
• What to Read for Fun & Growth at Any Age (including FREE book lists!)

Of course every texting event also has a giveaway! And those who choose to order any products through this event will be entered to win all the event's Host Rewards of free and half-price items from Lemongrass Spa!

TO JOIN, simply text "LiveAndLearn" to me at the number above!

• No purchase necessary to join the event or win the giveaway.
• Lemongrass Spa and I can ship to US addresses only.
• The Host Rewards winner will be drawn from points earned according to order sizes.
• Event messages and video links will arrive by text so you can watch at your convenience and have the option to opt out at any time.

Have more questions? Text them to me at the number above.

I'd love to "see" you there!

~ Hannah

Come, "Be Still"

Do you ever take time to simply "Be Still" during your days? It may sound impossible in light of your to-do list or all the work you see piling up around...

Yet I can't emphasize enough how healing it can be to just stop and Be Still... for even 3 minutes! (Yes, we do have three spare minutes. Think of all the 3-minute blocks of time that are wasted each day!)

Have you noticed how our culture is increasingly wired against this concept? Next time you are in a line or waiting room, just look around and see how many others are buried in their smart-phones.

And do you find, as I do, that when more tired or stressed, we are even more tempted to turn to our phones for "mindless" scrolling? (Unfortunately, this does affect our minds anyway. But that's another topic...)

When we actually stop and unplug long enough, we may actually start to think! And I've been thinking more and more about how all the noise and images, sensational news and pointless games are no accident.

Instead they are often a real temptation...
• A distraction from the real life we were meant to live
• A replacement to the truth we were meant to ponder
• A poor substitute for the beauty and wonder of the world God has given us
• An opening to subtle (or blatant!) lies
• An "immunization" against what should shock and sicken us
• And a false sense of accomplishment and worth
... among other concerns!

Don't get me wrong! I am also grateful for the ways technology allows us to keep up with loved ones or run a business - especially when chronic illness keeps one at home for years. And I could still think myself into a hole on some less-than-optimal days if I didn't have a good audiobook, audio-Bible or podcast playing through earbuds.

But even then I need to be careful not to let the "perpetual motion" of life keep me from the following reality-check:

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" ~ Psalm 46:10



Oh, how a few minutes of stillness with a verse or two of Truth can reset the mind... and even the body! Let me know if you try it today and how it goes for you!

📖 A few other Bible verses to ponder in light of all this are:
▪︎ Philippians 4:8
▪︎ Romans 12:2
▪︎ Colossians 3:1-2
▪︎ Isaiah 26:3

~ Hannah

Lake Time - August 2023

While we didn't get to the lake many times this summer, we did camp out there for 4 nights at the end of August. Our stay contained the whole range from wool-sweater weather... to cold tile floor turning into a lake from heavy humidity on days in the 90's!

It also contained some "firsts" for my neice.

Canoeing...



And her first watercolor!

Meanwhile her 3 year old brother learned a couple new brush handling skills (not shown in this photo!)

They enjoyed the lower water providing extra beach for play.

And riding the pontoon!

Books are a "must" in every day!

Making memories!

Elsa and I found the perfect way to make S'mores with our runny, homemade, honey marshmallows! Delicious!

3 Tips to Stretch Safely

3 Tips to Stretch Safely

1: Always warm up muscles before deep stretches. The simplest way is taking a 10 minute walk.

2. Keep muscles activated (strong) around the joints to protect them.

3. Stretch only as far as is comfortable. Activating muscles also signals to your brain that it is safe to stretch further.

Thanks to my sister Elsa for these tips from her certification courses with WholyFit Wellness! See Elsa's beautiful blog here: https://reachingtotheskies.blogspot.com/

How to Freeze Peppers

Have you ever wished you could enjoy more of this season's abundance of peppers throughout the year? Wish no longer!

Peppers are one of the easiest types of produce to freeze. Simply chop (removing seeds), scoop into freezer bags, and tuck away to wait for a winter meal needing peppers!

Some ways we use frozen peppers include:
• Omelets
• Soups
• Hot-dishes (aka "Casseroles")
• Fried along with onions for burritos and burgers
• Chicken a-la King (which also used our frozen, homegrown celery!)

What is your favorite use for sweet peppers?

~ Hannah

Back at Work

[See post from 8.11.2023 for more about this project.]

A week later, I spent another afternoon under one of the three trees Grandpa helped us three girls plant when we were little. Even a light rain couldn't reach me there as I trimmed and sawed with a trusty "Saws-All".



Thankfully Dad came to my aid with a chainsaw to greatly speed up the project.



There is still a bit more to trim out of this tree and then two more to tackle sometime. Plus after my first afternoon of hard work with the shovel we decided that the volunteer forest of deciduous trees needs to be clawed out with the backhoe.

But for now we are enjoying a new little clearing!