Fiona

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Sunday, March 18, 2012

What leads to nesting...?

I did not realize how long it's been since I have done a blog update!  My last update was when Fi was only a month old!  A lot has happened since then: Dad got remarried, Sam and Amber had a new baby boy (Liam) and then moved to Utah, Ben and Ky moved to the South, Georgia!  Yay, they are closer to me now!  I found out last August that I am expecting again (Yay) and having a boy, (Evan Steele) due on April 26th and Gloria (MIL) who has been sick passed away on December 29th.  Fiona is a toddler now and into everything.  She has no fear and will climb up the jungle gym to go down the tallest slide!  You can see why I have been so busy!!

Well the real reason to my post was to list some of my favorite recipes I have found and/or adjusted for some homemade products!   According to Theron, I have been nesting since the day I found out I was having Evan, lol.  But also since we decided that I will be staying home, I wanted to find ways to do things cheaper, to cut costs and that were safe around my babies and myself (Theron included!).

My first ever homemade product was making my own laundry detergent.  I went for powder because it was easier and less time consuming than the liquid version.  Even though I have been using it for a while, I'm still tweaking it!  lol  But here is the gist of it:
Homemade Laundry Detergent (powder)

1 bar of Ivory, Zote, or Fels Naptha (I use both Zote and Fels Naptha)
1c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (in the laundry isle)
1c. Mule Team Borax (laundry isle)
1c. Oxygen Cleaner (I use generic brand)
1/2oz. - 1oz. of Essential Oils of your choice  (Tea Tree Oil and Lavender are good ones to try)

I mix it all in a food processor and use about 2tbs. per load. 

I enjoyed my detergent so much that I wanted to try other things.  My next product was a homemade cleaner.  It was basically 1/2 : 1/2 water and vinegar.  It worked great, but I have since stumbled upon another recipe that I liked a lot more.  Since I have been learning a lot about essential oils and their uses, I have been using them more and more in my products.  Here is my new general cleaner recipe (it also works well in my swiffer wet mop too!):

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner
1tsp. Borax (I actually used 1 tbs, more cleaning power!)
1/4c. white vinegar (I actually used 1/2c)
2c. water
30 drops of an essential oil blend (see below)

Boil the water, then add the borax.  Stir until dissolved.  Let cool then add the vinegar.  Pour into your spray bottle then add your essential oil mix.

Here are some EO (essential oil) blends: Lavender 'n' Lemon (1/2:1/2) I tweaked it with 1/2 Lavender, 1/4 Lemon and 1/4 Sweet Orange.  Smells awesome!  Mint Refresher- Equal parts eucalyptus, peppermint and orange EO (about 10 drops each) Suppose to be great for glass cleaner, but I haven't used it yet. Spice Splash- Equal parts cinnamon, clove and lavender OR orange EO (this is recommended for a bathtub scrub) and lastly, Citrus Sparkle- Equal parts lemon, lemongrass and tea tree EO.

As was learning about these cleaning methods, I stumbled upon recipes that were good to use on myself.  My biggest and most favorite find is the use of coconut oil.   Or, I should say many uses!  Check out this website: http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2012/01/160-uses-for-coconut-oil.html

I ditched my oil of olay face moisturizer and just started using plain coconut oil.  Then I added a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender for their healing and general "cure all" properties.  I also use this mix on cuts and sores.  It's been a lifesaver for Fi.   She got a bad cut on her arm and it is healing nicely.  Hopefully without any scarring (one of the coconut properties!).

My other favorite is my Coconut 'n' Sugar face scrub:


Coconut 'n' Sugar face scrub

1 cup organic demerara sugar (or any other coarse sugar will work)

1-2 tsp organic unrefined coconut oil (I used 2tsp, but may use 3tsp on my next batch)
2 tsp organic shredded coconut
I tweaked this recipe by adding about 4 drops of  Lavender EO
 
Heat the coconut until it's melted.  Add EO if you are adding any.  Mix all the ingredients until well mixed. 
 
I have never felt my face feel so soft before!  It's great!
 
So, after all my Internet and pinterest searching I stumbled upon the OCM.  The Oil Cleansing Method.  The idea is "washing" your face with oil, not detergents.  The idea is that oil cleans oil.  They explain it better here: http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
 
There are tons of recipes out there.  So, after doing some research of different carrier oils ( http://www.dianelotions.com/shop/custom.asp?recid=9 ) I decided to use Jojoba oil.  It softens skin, minimizes fine lines/wrinkles and helps with unplugging pores.
 
Castor oil is the actual cleansing oil.  I would recommend the cold pressed kind vs. the OTC laxative kind.  If you use too much, it can dry out your skin.  I use about 20% in my solution for my combination skin.
 
Next, pick out what EO you want to use in the mix.  This is where I did a lot of research and looking at other recipes as examples.  This is what I came up with for my mix.  Lavender (for it's relaxing, cleansing and generally all around good for the skin), Juniper berry (works as a detoxifier and cleanser that can benefit the skin) and Geranium ( it revitalizes tissue and helps restore the balance  between oily and dry skin tones). 
 
I mix everything in a 3oz travel bottle.  Shake well before use.  Start out with dry skin.  Pour about nickle size into your palm and apply all over face. No need to wash your face before hand, this is also great for removing make up!  Then get a wash cloth and get it wet with the hottest water you can handle.  Wring out well and place over face until the towel becomes room temp.  Gently rub your face as you remove the towel.  Repeat 1-2 more times.  Then add a moisturizer of your choice (coconut oil for me).  It's safe enough to use every day, but I only need it every other day or about 3x a week.
 
My face has never been so clear and soft!  I've only had one pimple since doing this and it lasted less than 24hours!  Let me know if you have any questions or comments!!
 
I am working on a homemade bubble bath, but haven't found one that I liked yet.  So I will let you know when I come up with something!