Saturday, February 2, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Giving Back in January
Vida’s Ark is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit Homeless Shelter for teen mothers and their children. They provide safe, supportive living conditions while teaching young mothers life and parenting skills to become self-sufficient, educated, healthy parents themselves.
Vida's Ark in Vancouver, WA is an amazing organization dedicated to helping teen mothers and their children. I have been fortunate to have met the Founder and Staff of this great organization ... incredible people with huge hearts ... each, an inspiration for us all. For the month of January, Second Star Designs will be donating 10% of every online sale to Vida's Ark in Vancouver, WA.
You can read more about Vida's Ark and the work that they are doing in the community at www.vidasark.org.
To make an online purchase, of which 10% will be directly donated to Vida's Ark, please visit www.secondstardesigns.com.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
You Should Know - the Wonders of Healing Salve
For those of you unfamiliar with the ingredients found in this tiny tin of wonderfulness, I've put together a list of the ingredients and what they do for you when it comes to things like bumps, bruises, cuts, burns, scrapes, bee stings, diaper rash, sunburn, eczema, and the like. Because there are no synthetic chemicals, there's really nothing that our salve is not good for ... we've even used it on our pets.
Every product that we've created and eventually placed into a store was borne of a need here at home to have the best products available ... products that do not harm the environment or harm our family's health. Every product we make we use first on ourselves to ensure that nothing bad would happen ... even if it's accidentally swallowed.
The herbs used in our infused oils are grown on our property. No fertilizers. No pesticides. No synthetic chemicals are used to grow these amazing ingredients. Our free range chickens and ducks provide all we need to fertilize the garden and control the pests. The oils, beeswax, and honey used are all certified organic and come from local farmers. Because we are aware of the importance of maintaining the integrity of the ingredients' health properties, we process small batches of our salves at low temperatures ... high temperatures kill the "good stuff" found in each ingredient.
You can find this product in our online store at www.secondstardesigns.com, in our Health & Beauty section. To find a store in the greater Portland/Vancouver area which carries our products, simply click on the "stores" menu tab.
Only good things for you and your family.
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Coconut oil works wonders for dry and damaged skin, cuts, bruises, and speeds the healing process while it fights infection. Coconut oil forms a protective barrier against the skin to hold in moisture while penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin tissues to help in keeping the connective tissues strong and supple.
Grapeseed oil is naturally astringent, antiviral, and contains a number of antioxidants as needed by the human body for health. As one of the primary oils in our salve, grapeseed oil provides anti-inflammatory pain relief as well as aiding in improving the skin's overall circulatory health.
Chamomile contains spiroether, a strong antispasmodic agent that relaxes aching and tense muscles. Chamomile also contains compounds that are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and is used to promote tissue regeneration.
Calendula is a particularly good treatment for all types of skin irritations, insect bites, and minor wounds. The antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties of calendula make it effective toward the healing of many types of wounds and skin irritations.
Comfrey is one of the best-known healing herbs and has been used for centuries ... as far back as the early Greek and Roman civilizations. Its name, symphytum, comes from the Greek symphyo and means "to make grow together" ... and was used at the time to heal fractures. Comfrey relieves pain and inflammation caused by injuries and degeneration of the skin tissues. Topical treatments are used to heal burns, skin ulcerations, abrasions, lacerations, insect bites, and any other skin irritation. Comfrey's naturally occurring astringent tannins help to form a protective surface over wounds to promote healing of the underlying tissues.
Plantain is a naturally occurring herb used to stop bleeding in minor cuts and abrasions, and helps in treating all forms of skin irritations, superficial ulcerations of the skin, and burns.
St. John's Wort is naturally anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and is naturally analgesic. It's used in the treatment of damaged skin and helps to calm the pain of sciatica and arthritis. It is a singular healing herb that when included in an ointment, helps to open obstructions, dissolve swelling, and close up wounds.
Lavender helps to relieve pain, kill germs, heal burns and skin rashes, and provides an overall calming effect, reducing your perception the pain associated with any skin trauma. Its naturally antibacterial and antiseptic properties kill bacteria and help to clear up acne.
Honey offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties for your body and overall health. Its natural healing properties can be used as a head-to-toe remedy for everything from eye conjunctivitis to athlete's foot. Its powerful healing attributes have been recognized for thousands of years to promote healing for cuts, cure ailments and diseases, and to correct health disorders.
Beeswax acts as a surfectant and when used in conjunction with other oils, forms a protective barrier on the surface of the skin. This barrier provides a film of protection against irritants while still allowing the skin to breathe. Similar to honey, beeswax offers anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral benefits, making it beneficial for treating minor skin irritations.
DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. These products are not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Is What You Want ... Really What You Need?
Not being entirely sure in which direction this is going, I will instead forge ahead in an effort to quiet the endless words swirling in my head.
I just returned from dropping off the kids at daycare for the day - there is only so much that can be accomplished with two munchkins bouncing off the walls. And after delivering them into the loving hands of their caregivers, I decided to swing by the store to grab a few things I needed. On my way, I was sidetracked by the big "50% Off ....Sale...." sign at the Salvation Army.
I love that store! I think it speaks to the dumpster-diving side of me
Anyway, the store was filled to overflowing with hundreds of people all there to take advantage of the sale. Low priced merchandise is shinier than new when it’s 50% off.
I found two antique matchbox tins at an amazing price.
One for myself, the other to be a Christmas gift.
I just returned from dropping off the kids at daycare for the day - there is only so much that can be accomplished with two munchkins bouncing off the walls. And after delivering them into the loving hands of their caregivers, I decided to swing by the store to grab a few things I needed. On my way, I was sidetracked by the big "50% Off ....Sale...." sign at the Salvation Army.
I love that store! I think it speaks to the dumpster-diving side of me
Anyway, the store was filled to overflowing with hundreds of people all there to take advantage of the sale. Low priced merchandise is shinier than new when it’s 50% off.
I found two antique matchbox tins at an amazing price.
One for myself, the other to be a Christmas gift.
Wandering further, my attention was drawn to an antique steamer trunk in exceptional condition. Late 1800’s. Covered in stickers from the ships upon which it’d sailed. Drawers lined in vintage canvas. Brass bindings and corner brackets. Leather strapping still in good condition. Wood hangers hung from brass bars in the top of the trunk; the bottom was divided into drawers and compartments to hold everything from hair pins to hats. A section of the trunk even pulled out and turned into a padded seat.
Absolutely beautiful.Priced to sell at discount for only $50.
I wanted that trunk with every ounce of my being.
As I was admiring the craftsmanship and its condition, an older woman came up to me and complimented it as well. Seems she collects antique steamer trunks. She said this one was in the best condition she’s seen for its age and at an incredible bargain to boot!
Her next comments were a little more profound.
“Can you imagine what it would have been like to place everything you needed to have inside of this trunk, to travel to a foreign land? A hundred years ago or more, people packed everything they could into a trunk such as this to come to a new country, to start a new life.”
Everything they needed.
A few things they may have wanted, if they would fit.
An entire life packed into a 4’x3’ steamer trunk.
And at that precise moment, I turned and looked around the store filled with people walking that fine line between Need and Want. Justifying their Wants because of a simple sale.
For a good 20 minutes, I walked around that store looking at the people shopping, listening to their conversations [Salvation Army Stalking], and thinking about all the things that I have that have been purchased out of Want and not so much out of Need.
And I put the antique matchboxes back where I found them.
Because while I wanted that trunk more than I want Universal Healthcare, I needed that trunk to remind me of what is important.
Everywhere you look, people fill their heads and their homes and their hands with things they do not Need. I am no different than the millions of other people around the world who purchase to fill a Want because it screams louder than a Need. We get coerced by the bright lights and the discount prices because ‘tomorrow it may be gone!’ Cheerful music playing in the background soothes the voices in our heads that tell us we really don’t need another one of those for the house.
It’s sad, really.
And merchants sing to the voice of Want. Capitalism at its finest.
I am one of those merchants. My nights and weekends are filled with creating things that people Want; that children Want. I present the fruits of my labors to the loudest voices of all: children’s voices.
I do what I do because I do not want to continue working for a company that is more concerned with how the world is doing than with how its own country is doing. I want to give back to the Land of Opportunity. And it is only through the growth of my own business that I will be able to bring jobs back to my homeland instead of shipping them overseas.
It’s a long journey; one that began with a small step many years ago. It is a journey that will continue to the end of my days, because each day that passes is a forward step in a positive direction. Each day presents the opportunity to give back in some small way.
So, as I prepare for one of the largest shopping extravaganzas in the ..Pacific Northwest.., I am also setting aside a few things for those children whose voices are not so loud; whose voices cannot be heard above the cacophony of Christmas overindulgence.
So, as I prepare for one of the largest shopping extravaganzas in the ..Pacific Northwest.., I am also setting aside a few things for those children whose voices are not so loud; whose voices cannot be heard above the cacophony of Christmas overindulgence.
This year, as with previous years, I’m giving back.
As for the trunk, I may go back and get it as a reminder, but for now I have a job to attend to: filling the Wants and Needs of others.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
1,000 Fan - $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway!
Okay ... so the thing is ... we love our customers and we'd like to have a few more Fans. It's that warm, fuzzy feeling we get when everyone loves us! The business has been steadily growing and we're doing new things, exploring into uncharted waters, every single day. And we are looking to reward one Lucky Fan!
So, here's the deal: to celebrate an incredible year, we're giving away a $50 gift certificate to Second Star Designs when we reach 1,000 Fans. With the holidays right around the corner, we're pretty sure that a "little something" for yourself, after all the festivities have subsided, would round out the holidays quite nicely!
What's the catch? Share our Fan page with as many of your friends as you can. Enter as often as you like, using the link to our little Rafflecopter Widget ... we've given you a number of opportunities to enter. On New Year's Eve, we'll enter all of the names into the coolness that is Random.org. One lucky Fan will receive a $50 gift certificate to be used for the purchase of anything in our store.
Just follow the link below ... you have until 12/31/2012 to get all your entries in =)
Good luck!
$50 Online Gift Certificate Giveaway!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Announcing our New Bath & Body Product Line
raison éthique™ by Second Star Designs - is our newest bath and body product line featuring ethically made, hand-crafted, organic, biologically friendly products. Our mission behind this new line of products is to operate in an ecologically and biologically friendly manner, using organic materials and ingredients where ever possible, and supporting small, sustainable, like-minded businesses that are local to somewhere.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Love Warms the Heart
On our walk this morning, we went past a group of people packing up their belongings in the Park. Of the three, one man's hands were visibly cold and his need for warmth drew me across the grounds like a moth to a flame. Another pair of gloves found their way to someone in need.
Small acts of love can change the world around you into the world you wish to see ♥
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