Makin' Stuff

Today I did something I haven’t done in a long time.  I made stuff!  I made a few tubes of lip balm and some Tub Scrub. 

I got a recipe from a friend recently who says she makes a batch and cleans her tub while she’s in the shower.  Since my usual approach to cleaning the bathroom is “clean it when you notice it’s getting gross”, this style of cleaning appealed to me.  

I enjoy making my own products, so I was excited to try this one out.  It’s super easy to make and if you’re someone who regularly makes your own products, you should have these things on hand:

Tub Scrub Ingredients

Tub Scrub

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup baking soda
• ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp of liquid castile soap
• 1 tsp of glycerine
• 10 drops of Melaleuca
• 10 drops of Citrus Bliss (or another citrus scent you like)
• Mason Jar

Directions:

• Mix all of the ingredients together until you get a frosting-like consistency
• Store in a mason jar

I plan to keep mine by the shower.  I haven’t used it in the shower yet so I’m not sure how long that batch will last, but I’ll keep you posted.  I did, however, try it out on my stainless steel kitchen sink.  It has a great texture and made my sink so shiny!  It’s creamy and slightly abrasive.  I was tempted to rub it into my face! 

One of the great things about this scrub is that it’s non-toxic. That means my kids clean their own tub.   

frosting-like consistency

Lip Balm

There are several different recipes you could find for lip balm.  The trick is to find the consistency and texture you like.  Here’s a recipe I came up with that I really like:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp beeswax (you can purchase at your local health food store)
• 1 tsp fractionated coconut oil (I use doTERRA brand)
• 1 tsp cold-pressed coconut oil (health food store)
• 2 Empty chapstick tubes or containers (you can purchase or use your old ones)
• Essential oil of your choice (the amount will depend on the strength of scent you want.  I’ve used wild orange, melaleuca and lavendar for our winter chapped lips, and also doTERRA’s On Guard blend to help our immune systems fight germs)

Directions:

• Melt all of the ingredients (except for essential oil) in a double boiler (I do not have one so I use a smaller pot tucked inside of a larger pot)
• Remove from heat
•  Add essential oil
• Pour into chapstick tube or container (this batch should make 2 full chapstick tubes with a little bit left over.  I have not mastered quantity yet)
• Let cool for 20 minutes before closing

  

Well, that’s all folks!  Let me know if you have any questions.  

Enjoy!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Photo Credit

I recently tried out a new laundry detergent recipe. Here is it: 

Ingredients: 

• 4 Cups of HOT tap water
• 1 Soap Bar (I used Fels Naptha :: you can find this at your local grocery store.  Any soap will do)
• 1 Cup of Washing Soda 
• 1/2 Cup of Borax
• 5 gallon bucket 

Directions: (with my comments) 

1. Grate the bar of soap (I used my Magic Bullet :: you can also use a hand grater or food processor)
2. Put grated soap, washing soda, and borax in a sauce pan and add HOT water
3. Simmer, stirring continually over med-low heat until soap melts and dissolves
4. Pour mixture into a 5-gallon bucket and fill with HOT tap water to the top
5. Stir together completely
6. Cover and let sit over night to thicken. (Do not be alarmed when you open your container and see that your once liquidy substance has turned into an unidentifiable mass. This is how it's supposed to look) 
7. The next day, scoop the gelatinous detergent into another container (I saved an old container with a pour spout). Note: Detergent is concentrated and needs to be diluted 1/2 and 1/2 with water. So, fill half way with the detergent and the rest of the way with hot water. Give a little shake and you're good to go

• At this point, you can add essential oil for scent if you'd like. I didn't. I like the smell of the Fels Naptha soap. The person who gave me this recipe says that she uses a smaller laundry container and changes out her scent when the container is done. I think that's a great idea. 

Recipe makes probably 180 - 200 loads (use 1/4 cup per load)

I squirt 1-2 tablespoons of White Vinegar into my washer as fabric softener (really, it's suggested to use 1-2 Tbsp but I just use a squirt bottle and give a good squeeze.  But if you are an perfectionist, feel free to measure).  This works great! I do not wait for the rinse cycle... I do not own a downy ball, have enough patience or the memory span to remember to go to the washer for the rinse cycle. 

During the winter months I did notice a little bit of static. To help this, I am in the process of making wool dryer balls, which I will blog about soon. Until then, I'm going to stick with my White Vinegar. (And no, it does not make my laundry smell) 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Homemade Heating Pads

A few years ago, I got a rice bag that you can use as either a heating pad or an ice pack. I use it primarily as a heating pad. I LOVE it. I use it to sleep with every night. It's almost like a security blanket that I can't live without. It's lavender scented so it helps me sleep better. The one I got was a gift and very expensive... well, expensive to me anyway. So when my girls starting asking for one, I wasn't too excited to spend money on two. Actually, three because Hubby wanted one too. I did a little research and found out how to make one on my own. Here is what I did:

Materials: 

• Material of your choice. (the amount of material will depend on how big you want the heating pad)
• Bag of rice (more depending on how big your heating pad is) 
• Sewing Machine (unless you are crazy and want to do it by hand)
• Funnel 
• Essential Oil of your choice (preferably doTERRA because of the high quality and CPTG Certification)

Directions: 

Step One: 

Measure out your material to the size you want.  Be sure to take into consideration extra material for sewing it together.  

Step Two: 

Sew all sides together, inside out, leaving an inch or two on the top to fit the funnel in for the rice.  

Step Three: 
Turn the material right side in

Use a skewer to push the corners out (you can't see it in the picture, but that's what I'm using)  

Step Four: 
Insert the funnel into the hole

Step Five: 

Pour full bag of rice into the bag using the funnel (or as much as you need for your heating pad.  Be sure not to make it too heavy or you'll pull a neck muscle when you use it for a headache.  Trust me on this.  I tested it out.)

Step Six: 

Add essential oil.  I chose Lavender.  You can use any scent you want. Next time, I'm going to use peppermint oil for headaches and stuffy noses.  (Note: If you are using doTERRA essential oil, you only need about 3 drops.  Again, trust me on this one.  I tested it out.  I put too much and had to open the bag, pour half of it out, and replace it with unscented rice.  Learn from me, people!)  

Step Seven: 

Sew the bag shut.  I suggest using something to prop up the bag when it's full.  I started out using nothing and realized quickly that the material shifted.  I used the closest thing in proximity to me, a Bible.  It worked great!   You don't have to use a Bible, obviously, but your heating pad may turn out even better if you do *wink*

Step Eight: 

Sniff and enjoy!  I ended up making one for each of my Loves.  I tried to make Hubby's a little masculine but how do you make a homemade heating pad manly?  Baseballs or tractors, I suppose.  

  

I had extra material.  I will pretend it's because I planned it that way but it's actually because I don't really know what I'm doing and had some left over.  I decided to make ice packs, which I call "Boo Boo Packs". Yes, there is one made with the baseball material but trust me, that is NOT Hubby's.  It's just an extra.  I would never make my manly husband anything with the word "Boo Boo" in it.  We have used them several times for actual injuries, as well as fevers.  We love them.  What I really like about them is that they don't melt all over the place.  I did not put any essential oil in them but I'm sure it would be nice to have a calming oil that would help your little one settle down when they think their life is ending because of the pain.  

I want to say thank you to Amanda, who took pics for me, let me use her sewing machine, dealt with my several sewing screw ups and being the cause of her sewing machine malfunctions.  She is very patient and a great teacher.  Thanks, Manda!  Can't wait until Friday when we make wool dryer balls!  

I also want to apologize to any of you who want to make these heating pads and have to use my instructions to do so.  

What have you made lately?  OR, what's on your agenda to make?  

Thanks for stopping by,

The Dishwasher Dilemma

I've posted several recipes for making your own household and beauty products. One of the products that has been giving me a bit of trouble is the dishwashing detergent. I've tried a few different things but still had that white film all over my dishes. Well, I found a solution: Kool-Aid. Let me explain. 

I've been doing some research into rinsing agents, what works and what doesn't. A really good rinsing agent is citric acid. Citric acid is useful in sprouting, canning, drying or freezing. It can be used to preserve Vitamin C content, retard spoilage by bacterial growth and prevent discoloration.  You can buy citric acid in powder form or you can get citric acid from Lemonade Kool-Aid.  I chose to go with the Dollar General generic (Clover Valley) at 10 packs for $1.00. I figured it's $1.00 (I already had the other ingredients), why not give it a try?  

I reluctantly put the ingredients in the dishwasher, shut the door and waited for the end of the cycle.  When I came back, with Hubby by my side, we opened the door and guess what we saw?  Sparkling clean dishes!  Finally!  This is the one area that Hubby was having a hard time with.  He'd OFTEN say, "If you want to switch back to store bought dishwasher detergent, I wouldn't mind." Poor Love.  He's been so patient and supportive.  

Here's the recipe, in case you want to wow your husband (or wife.  or cat. whatever.)  with your dishwasher detergent skills: 

1/2 c borax

1/2 c washing soda (not baking soda)

15 packs of lemonade Kool-Aid (or generic kool-aid like stuff) 

1/4 c salt 

Mix all of the ingredients together in a container.  Give it a good shake.  Use 1 tbsp per load.   

A few notes about the recipe:

• Just use the packets of kool-aid.  Don't make the drink with the water and the sugar and then add it.

• The next day, you may find your mixture has hardened.  That's the citric acid. Just give it a good scrape with a spoon to loosen it up before scooping it into the dishwasher.

• If you want, you can add white vinegar to the rinse compartment.  I didn't do this, but you can if you want to. I didn't actually have a need to.  But if it makes you feel better or you find that you can't live without white vinegar, go for it.

• Don't use colorful drink mix, it will stain your dishes and the inside of your dishwasher.  Stick with the light colored ones.  

• For added scent put 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil into the detergent container.  Mix well.  If you don't want to commit to the whole container, just add a couple drops into your detergent compartment after you put 1 tbsp of detergent.  

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can buy all of these things at the grocery store.  You may spend a few more dollars to start, but these ingredients last forever!  You'll definitely get a return on your investment.  

Enjoy your clean dishes!  I'll hopefully be posting my deodorant recipe soon. I'm so close to perfecting it!  

Thanks for stopping by,

          

 

           

EASY Homemade Face Scrub

For the past couple of days my face has been feeling weird.  It's been kind of bumpy, not pimply, just not smooth.  Am I making sense?  Anyway, I decided to make a face scrub.  Not being the very creative type, I came up with this recipe.  Are you ready?  It's a tough one: 

1 Tbsp sugar (any kind will do, however cane sugar would be easiest to spread on your face)

Oil (Melted Coconut oil, olive oil.  Whatever you have on hand)

Mix ingredients together in a bowl.  Gently massage on face and neck.  Rinse off with warm water and a washcloth.  Wash face as usual.  

You have to wash your face when you're done because the oil in the scrub makes your face greasy.  Surprisingly, it worked well.  My face was soft and felt really nice.  

Ok, I'm done.  Go wash your face now. 

      

Dust Spray

The other night, I came home from a date with Hubby, paid the babysitter, turned on a lamp and sat down in my favorite spot on the couch.  I don't normally use the lamp I turned on, so it brought my attention to a few things I had in that corner: plants, books, puzzles, and *gasp* DUST!  Now, I'm not talking about your average layer of dust that appears when you don't dust for a week.  I'm talking about a thick layer of dust that only comes from a month (or two) of neglect.  Gross, I know.  

Don't be fooled.  I don't normally dust every week, or every other week for that matter.  It's just one of those things that gets away from me, like laundry, scrubbing floors, and bathrooms.  I'm usually so busy that I don't remember to clean something until it has grown a film or some other obvious sign of neglect.    

My youngest daughter is sick and stayed home from school today, so it gave me a chance to do some cleaning.  I grabbed my trusty, store-bought dust spray, aimed, and nothing came out.  My bottle was broken.  Thankfully, I had a recipe I've been wanting to try.  So, I grabbed the ingredients, mixed 'em up, and dusted.  I could hear the dust mites screaming as I wiped them up with the cloth.  Ick! Dust mites.  My hives are coming back.  Bleck!  

Here's the recipe I tried, taken from The Naturally Clean Home: 


1/2 c oil soap (I used Murphy's Oil Soap)
3/4 c water
5 drops sweet orange essential oil
15-20 drops cedar essential oil

Mix all ingredients into a spray bottle.  Shake gently.  Spray on wood surface. Wipe with a dry cloth. 

My notes: I didn't put the cedar oil.  I didn't have any.  I would have because I think it would smell great.  I used the orange oil because I did have that in my cabinet.  It adds a nice scent, as well as added antibacterial benefits.  You really could omit the essential oils altogether, but I like the smell and the added benefits of essential oils.  

I liked the consistency of the spray.  It was light and easy to spread around the wood surface.  It picked up all the dust and left a nice, clean shine.  If you like a high gloss in your wood spray, you could add a little more Murphy's Oil or reduce the water.  

I have to include a note about the Murphy's Oil Soap ingredients.  All of them are good, except for the Tetrasodium EDTA.  (Of course, I read up on this after I used it) Tetrasodium EDTA contains formaldehyde.  It can be a strong skin and lung irritant in humans.  

If you don't want to use Murphy's, here's another recipe for you.  I haven't tried it but I'm sure it's a good one:

1/2 c lemon juice
1 tsp liquid castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's)
4 drops of bergamot, geranium, or sweet orange essential oil.  


To use, follow the directions above.  

A good tip is to try these recipes on an inconspicuous spot on your furniture before you spray it all over.  Some essential oils can adversely affect certain wood finishes.

Let me know if you try these recipes and what you think. Happy Dusting! (Is there such a thing?)  

Thanks for stopping by,

Clean Laundry

As I've posted a few times before, I've been in the process of making my own home and beauty supplies.  About three days ago, I posted a new recipe for Honey Cleanser.  I LOVE the honey cleanser.  I ran out yesterday and switched back to the Dr. Bronner's.  My skin was not the same.  Don't get me wrong, I love Dr. Bronner's for many things, but after my shower my skin was dry and itchy.  I had to use lotion for the first time in a few days.  With the honey cleanser, I didn't have to use anything after my shower.  It was nice.  I'm into quick and easy and not having an extra step of lotion makes it even quicker.  

I was talking to my friend Amanda the other day, and we were trying to decide if the laundry detergent we've been using is the most cost effective.  (It's the recipe on my home and beauty link).  One of the reasons I'm doing this is to save money for my family.  With our conversation in mind, I started searching for some other laundry recipes.  I found one that I'm going to try and I want to share it with you.  I've been avoiding using a powder recipe for laundry because I've never liked how it worked in the past.  I've always felt like the clothes are left looking whitish and dingy.  However, I'm going to try this recipe and see how it works. Having the soap flakes may help.  

Basic Laundry Soap Powder

1 cup washing soda

1 cup scented baking soda (drop a few drops of essential oils into your baking soda for scent)

1 cup soap flakes or finely grated pure bar soap (such as Dr. Bronner's or Kirk's)  

*You could always skip the essential oil and use a scented bar of castile soap.  

As I was researching soap flakes I found these recipes.  I may also try these.  

Let me know what you think.  I'll keep you posted as I try the recipes.  

Thanks for stopping by,

     

Homemade Honey Cleanser

Many of you know that I've been on a journey of making my own home and beauty cleansers.  For the most part, it's been fun and enjoyable.  I love trying out new recipes and adapting them to fit my needs.  But, sometimes it's SO frustrating and I want to give up...but only sometimes.  

This is not one of those times.  I have a new recipe that I'd like to share with you.  It's for a Homemade Honey Cleanser.  My friend shared this recipe with me.  I'm not sure where she found it, so I can't quote a source. If I had to guess, I'd say it's from the book "Natural Beauty at Home."  Even if the recipe didn't come from this book, it's still a good one to check out.  

I've been using this recipe for a couple of days and I love it!  I was using Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap, which I really like, but I wanted something a little more mild.  I plan to use it in my girls bubble bath, and on their skin and hair.  I've been using it on my hair and body.  The results are great!  My hair is soft and full and my skin is smooth.  It's a nice change from the castile soap.  

Here's the recipe: 

2 tbsp liquid soap (I use Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Castile Soap)

1/4 c of honey

1/4 c of rose water (I used regular filtered water)

Mix all ingredients together in a clean container.  Give a little shake (not too much.  You don't want too much foam).  I used an old squeezable jelly container at first.  I plan to put it into a pump container, which is suggested.  

Makes 4 ounces 

To use: Pour or pump a small amount into your palm and massage gently into your skin or hair.  (I use a puff when I'm using it as body wash.  I like the foaming action).  Rinse thoroughly with water.  (I haven't needed a conditioner when I use this in my hair).

Note: Honey is a lightener.  Keep that in mind if your hair is dark. 

Just a couple updates on some other products I've made: 

Deodorant: I made a new batch and reduced the baking soda to 1 Tbsp.  I still broke out in a rash.  This is frustrating because the deodorant works really well.  The baking soda is the only thing that kills the odor for me.  I've tried other homemade recipes, but they aren't working.  So, I'm still on the lookout for a great homemade recipe.  At this point, I'm doing some research into natural store-bought deodorants.  If you have any recipes to share, please do! I'm kind of desperate.

Laundry Detergent: Use it and LOVE it!  If you haven't tried it yet, you must. 

Stain Remover: Used it the other day on my daughter's shirt.  She spilled chocolate on the front of her.  It took the stain right out.  I also spilled cherry cough syrup on my shirt and it came out!  I was amazed.  And just so you know, I am not the "wash it right this minute to get the stain out" kind of girl. I spray it and it sits for days until I'm ready to do laundry. 

If you haven't tried this recipe yet, get off the computer and go make it right now!

All-Purpose Cleaner: Use it and love it.  Won't ever go back to store bought. 

Dishwasher Detergent: Ugh.  Another source of frustration for me.  I keep getting a film on my dishes.  Up to this point, my husband has been supportive and excited about making our own products.  But this is the one area where he says, "If you wanted to switch back to store bought, I wouldn't mind."  No way! I'm determined!  I'm experimenting and checking the web for other ideas.  The only one I've seen so far is to add lemon juice to the rinse compartment.  I'm going to try that as soon as the vinegar runs out.  I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, if you have any other recipes, please share!

That's all for the updates for now.  Stay tuned.  I'll be posting a homemade body lotion recipe I've been trying.  I'm still testing it out, I'll let you know soon if I really like it or not. 

Be on the lookout - I'm still looking for a good hair spray and hair gel recipe. There are a few I've found, but none that I'm interested in trying.  Let me know if you have any.    

Thanks for stopping by,