Ingredients for making the toothpaste recipe (see below).

Sleep was elusive last night as we both tossed and turned most of the night. I’d be surprised if I’d slept three hours, Tom a little more. Nothing, in particular, was on our minds as we both commented on several occasions how we were still awake.

Famous words to a loved one during a fitful night, “Are you awake?”

Wait 10 seconds, ask again, “Are you awake?”

“Yes,” they reply after the second inquiry after which you realize you may have awoken them with the question, “Did I wake you?”

“Oh, no,” we say, “I’ve been awake for hours.”

This type of dialogue is not uncommon when receiving a phone call during the night. Why do we always say, “No, you didn’t wake me.  I’ve been awake for hours.”

When following a recipe I place my laptop on the counter to easily follow the instructions.

Funny, we are, we humans. Regardless of our country of origin, or languages spoken, our learned behaviors, we often respond similarly all over the world.

Finally, this morning after reading a book on my phone for over two hours I dragged myself out of bed feeling exhausted in body, alert in mind. What’s that about? 

In part, I believe a sense of joy over the gift of another day of life triggers my brain into full-on mode as I begin another day the moment my feet hit the floor. 

That’s not to say each morning we awake with an over-the-top cheery disposition although neither of us is grumpy in the morning, or at most other times of the day. 

We attempt to live by these principles, although unspoken in their exactness, exercised in our daily lives:

Gratefulness.  A natural segue to happiness.

Appreciation.  A natural segue to a great relationship.

Organization.  A natural segue to maintaining a sense of responsibility.

Faith, humility, and reverence. A natural segue to maintaining a sense of peace and acceptance of the immense impact of a higher power in our lives.

Perfection? Not on the menu. We are subject to the flaws and foibles we continually allow to flow from our beings, in essence, that which makes us unique and vulnerable. 

Combining all the dry and wet ingredients separately, made the final mixing easier.

We love that vulnerability and in this life, we make an effort to find humor in our flaws, our peculiarities, and at times our insane rituals.  We each, in our own way, possess a series of things we say, things we do, and ways in which we respond to one another. 

For us, this uniqueness makes our 24/7 existence not only tolerable but highly entertaining and meaningful. The fact that we travel the world living in one country after another, is almost incidental. It’s the day-to-day that shapes our lives and contributes to our personal growth and well-being.

What does making toothpaste have to do with all of this? I suppose one could say it falls into the category of “organization” in taking responsibility for our health in yet one more simple way.

Finally, I put the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and mixed them thoroughly.  I didn’t need to use a blender or food processor.

Today, we share yesterday’s photos of that quick and easy process of making toothpaste which we’re happy to report proved to be more effective, better tasting, and better feeling in the mouth than we’d expected. 

Here’s the recipe from Dr. Josh Axe, a renowned and highly acclaimed natural medicine doctor. More on Dr. Axe is located here. 

We prefer not to pack glass containers. This BPA-free contained we had on hand was perfect.

To keep the packing weight at a minimum, I only packed the items we may have more difficulty getting in Bali, the next vacation home in our journey.  I left out the baking soda which is easy to find in any country.

Its delicious tasting and forms a solid paste easy to scoop from the container with a small spoon.

May you have a day filled with gratefulness, appreciation, organization, and faith.

Photo from one year ago today, March 24, 2015:

A year ago, we attended the Princeville Artisan Fair in Kauai and thoroughly enjoying the experience as we met and later highlighted one of the talented vendors.  For more photos, please click here.