Pentecost Decorations

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May 20, 2018 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

I made an altarscape for our church for Pentecost Sunday.

I bought a fire silk and red flameless candles and sprinkled red silk rose petals on the altar.

I create a fiery hoop to symbolize the Holy Spirit roof holes of older times.

I printed a card to explain the history and symbolism (see below).

I sewed a red ribbon banner.

I bought a red linen fabric remnant and sewed different red and gold ribbons with bells at the bottom corners.

I added a couple other fun elements.

I got red rose floating candles and a glass bowl and propped it in our baptismal to symbolize a baptism of fire.

I got a flameless candle and Tabasco sauce to symbolize “tongues of fire.”

The Projects:

Name: Homemade Laundry Detergent
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 60
Ingredients: 2 cups Borax; 2 cups Washing Soda (Or 1/2 washing soda and 1/2 baking soda.); 2 bars Dr. Bonner's castile unscented bar soap (grated); 2 cups or scoops Oxi-Clean (optional); 20 or so drops essential oil (We like lavender or melaleuca!)

Fiery Hoop

We drained the hula hoop of water and placed bolts in 4 places to attach a chain.

I wrapped the hoop with gold ribbon.

We knotted tulle strips onto the hoop.

We used several glittery reds, one orange, 2 gold, and 1 glittery yellow.

Glitter was everywhere. It’s still everywhere.

We added curling ribbon in just a few places.

Here’s our almost finished fiery hole.

I added seven cardstock doves on clear thread.

We added the yellow and orange and hung it up in the narthex of our church with a cute little windchime in the middle.

The Banner:

I bought a red linen fabric remnant and several red and gold ribbons.

I cut the ribbons into 3 feet long segments and laid it all out to get an idea.

I hemmed three sides and left an opening for the banner pole and pinned the ribbons and tassels on.

I sewed the ribbon and tassels on by hand and hemmed the sides for the pole so it was neat and tidy.

I use my hair flat iron to even out the seams.

I added some extra tassels and little bells to the corners.

The projects were expensive, always more than I originally think, but the kids and I were blessed in the making and had lots of fun together while creating these and we pray it brightens our church and someone’s Sunday.

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Kitchen Pantry Makeover

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August 24, 2017 By Jennifer 24 Comments

I’m not typically crafty or DIY.

But this pantry needed a makeover.

I feel like our lives have a makeover every few years.

We move around a lot as a military family.

It’s kind of nice to start fresh.

You don’t even really want to see the “before picture” of this pantry.

And that’s good, because I don’t even have one!

It was once white, I’m sure, but the wooden shelves were scuffed and the walls were stained. And it smelled bad.

The owner updated all the floors, cabinets, walls, and trim, but left the closets as-is.

I didn’t want to look at those scuffed shelves.

It was a simple project to update this pantry and make it pretty.

We painted the inside walls and shelves white.

I wrapped sticky paper around the shelves for extra protection.

I already had all the jars, canisters, and baskets for my grains and sugars and nuts.

I have several kinds of flour on the bottom shelf. Brown sugar and white sugar and snacks are on the next shelf. Breakfast cereals, granola, and nuts are on the third shelf. Popcorn, seeds, and nuts are in the plastic baskets and my plain rice jar. Cornmeal and an empty canister are on the top shelf.

I love my new nifty jasmine rice storage container!

We also have a butler’s pantry across from our laundry room for all our kitchen appliances that we don’t use every day.

There’s a large pantry inside the laundry room with those terrible wire shelves where I store canned goods and other food items that moisture won’t bother.

We’re still in the process of stocking our pantry with staples after moving to Ohio from Germany. It’s nice to start fresh.

This kitchen is pretty amazing.

I have an amazing beverage station with little drawers for coffee and tea!

Here’s where I store my spices.

I love this Lazy Susan cabinet for my sauces!

We always pray before and during our PCSes. We pray for smooth travels. We pray for certain, specific things in a new rental house. We pray for kind neighbors. We pray for a healthy and welcoming church. We pray for friends for our children.

In the beginning of our journey, our prayers were vague. We know exactly what we want and need and how to pray for those things now.

God answers prayer!

This is the nicest house we’ve ever lived in!

Linking up: Blogghetti, Life of Faith, Modest Mom, Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth, Barbie Swihart, Our Holiday Journey, Lori Schumaker, Curly Crafty Mom, Fresh Start, Holley Gerth, Marilyns Treats, My Pinventures, Lisa’s Creative Designs, Create with Joy Monday, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, JEmbellish, Blessed But Stressed, GodSized Dreams, Donna Reidland, Mrs. AOK, Purposeful Faith, Sarah Frazer, Mummascribbles, Jaime Wiebel, Home Stories A to Z, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Live Randomly Simple, Teaching What is Good, LouLou Girls, April J Harris, Flamingo Toes, My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies, Domestically Speaking, Jessi’s Design, Sincerely Paula, Wise Woman, Raven Would, Southern Beauty Guide, My Learning Table, Raggedy Bits, Gingersnap Crafts, Savvy Southern Style, Penny’s Passion, Marilyn’s Treats Wednesday, Happily Ever After, Debbie Kitterman, Suzanne Eller, Becoming Press, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Flourishing Today, Brenda Bradford Dottinger, Organized 31, Pat and Candy, Joyful Homemaking, Feathering My Empty Nest, Our Three Peas, Soaring with Him, Jaime Wiebel, Messy Marriage, Creative K Kids, A Bountiful Love, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Katherine’s Corner, Happy and Blessed Home, Coffee with Us3, Missional Women, Simply Sweet Home, Easy Peasy Pleasy, Answer is Chocolate, Imparting Grace, Arabah Joy, Counting my Blessings, Artsy Fartsy Mama, Crystal Waddell, Life with Lorelai, Momfessionals, The Blended Blog, Lyli Dunbar, Our Mini Family, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Mother2Mother,

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Beauty and Makeup Unit Study

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December 1, 2016 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

I have three daughters.

In this complicated world we live in, I feel like I’m constantly doing battle to balance the forces of good and evil in how I raise them to love themselves.

Sure, we could go to the extreme of looking like we live in an episode of Little House on the Prairie and that might be easier sometimes. But it’s not me.

My girls are naturally kind and modest. They are beautiful on the inside and outside. They have good genes.

But I want them to learn about good skincare. I want them to learn how and when to apply makeup well.

I teach my kids that our skin is a powerful filtering organ and if it’s upset, then we have to heal ourselves from the inside – with food and rest.

I want my daughters to know that there’s so much more than makeup and clothes and a pretty face.

I wish I had had better education as a teen when it came to a beauty routine. I educated myself with Glamour and Redbook magazines, which left a lot of questions unanswered, and even though they were a bit tamer in the ’80s than the magazines are now, they were hyper-sexualized. I learned styling techniques but not much about heart beauty.

This unit study teaches about inner beauty, skincare, and makeup application. It includes fun and simple recipes to make at home for cleansing and moisturizing. Also, some resources for best colors to wear for different skin tones, hair, and eye colors.

beauty-and-makeup-unit-study

Download my FREE Beauty and Makeup Unit Study NOW.

Here’s our favorite resources.

Great books about powerful ladies:

Our favorite movies about strong girls:

More recipes and natural living ideas:

Linking up: Life of Faith, Squishable Baby, Practical Mom, Curly Crafty Mom, Modest Mom, Marilyns Treats, What Joy is Mine, Proverbs 31 Wife, Donna Reidland, A Fresh Start, Written Reality, Inspiration for Moms, Darling Downs Diaries, Moms the Word, Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Mostly Blogging, ABC Creative Learning, Tell me a true story, Sarah Celebrates, Rich Faith Rising, VMG206, Holly Barrett, Year Round Homeschooling, Classical Homemaking, Frog’s Lilypad, Jamiffer, Bountiful Love, Live Laugh Rowe, Katherine’s Corner, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Lamberts Lately, Raising Homemakers, Pat and Candy, Christian Blogger Community, Jaime Wiebel, Holley Gerth, Women with Intention, 3D Lessons 4Life, Life Beyond the Kitchen, Creative K Kids, Organized 31, Saving 4 Six, Life with Lorelai, Juggling Real Food and Real Life, Susan B Mead, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Sincerely Paula, Create with Joy, RCH Reviews, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Snapcreativity, Design Dining and Diapers, Arabah Joy, Happy and Blessed Home, Being a Wordsmith, Crafty Moms Share, Janis Cox,

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Homemade Laundry Detergent

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September 22, 2016 By Jennifer 8 Comments

A couple of us in the family have sensitive skin, so traditional laundry detergents are irritating to us.

The more natural detergents can be really expensive and many soaps without scent leave my clothes smelling…like vomit.

I’ve experimented with several brands that don’t make my clothes smell good.

I’ve tried several recipes from homemade detergent and this one has been working well for us.

It’s really easy and not very expensive to make. It smells great and no skin irritation. It lasts about 2 months!

I only use a tablespoon or so every laundry load and my clothes smell great!

So, let’s make some laundry detergent!

Gather the ingredients!

The recipe is super simple. My daughters make it now for our family!

We grate two bars of Dr. Bonner’s castile unscented soap.

The grated soap looks like little worms. Heehee

It already smells fresh and clean.

We add two cups each of borax, washing soda, and Oxi-clean.

We add 20 or so drops of essential oil. We like lavender or melaleuca (but not together!). Some people recommend lemon, and I’m sure that smells amazing, but I worry it might bleach the clothes if I hang them to dry in the sun.

Then we shake it all up in this handy pourable container.

We pour out a couple tablespoons for each laundry load. I don’t really measure it. I don’t fill the dispenser in our washer.

The clothes come out smelling much more fresh than they used to and no irritated skin!

We also use wool dryer balls with a bit of lavender essential oil.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 60

Ingredients

2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda Or 1/2 washing soda and 1/2 baking soda.
2 bars Dr. Bonner's castile unscented bar soap grated
2 cups or scoops Oxi-Clean optional
20 or so drops essential oil We like lavender or melaleuca!

Instructions

Grate bar soap and mix all ingredients in a jar.
Use 1-2 T each wash load.

Linking up: Sandy’s POV, Curly Crafty Mom, The Mrs. Tee, Written Reality, Blogghetti, Life of Faith, Mary Andering Creatively, Lori Schumaker, A Proverbs 31 Wife, Denise Designed, Pam’s Party and Practical Tips, A Fresh Start, Inspiration for Moms, Darling Downs Diaries, Missional Women, Modest Mom, Moms the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Sarah Celebrates, VMG206, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Wife Mommy Me, Jamiffer, Adventures of Mel, The Natural Homeschool, Jaime Wiebel, Messy Marriage, Pat and Candy, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Women with Intention, 3DLessons4Life, I Choose Life, Penny’s Passion, Live Laugh Rowe, Katherine’s Corner, A Bountiful Love, Saving 4 Six, Create with Joy, Sincerely Paula, Life with Lorelai, A Kreative Whim, Organized 31, Juggling Real Food and Real Life, Happy and Blessed Home, Being a Wordsmith, Crafty Moms Share,

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Bath Bombs

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May 3, 2016 By Jennifer Leave a Comment

A super fun and frugal craft for kids and teens to make!

DIY bath bombs with oatmeal, rose, and lavender.

Also perfect gifts for Mother’s Day!

These bath bombs smell great. Lavender and rose are my favorites.

My kids made me adorable cards with teacups, coffee cups, and pretty fans for Mother’s Day.

My kids love the fizzy bath bombs too.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Citric Acid
1 cup Baking Soda
1/4 cup Quick Oats
10-15 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5-10 drops Geranium Essential Oil
Lavender Petals
Rose Petals
Witch Hazel (in a spray bottle)
Bath Bomb Molds

Directions:

1. Sift citric acid and baking soda into a large bowl. Sifting removes any clumps ensures a smooth consistency in the bath bombs.

2. Pour oats into the bowl and stir. Next, add essential oils and mix well. I find that using my hand is far better than a spoon since I can break any clumps with my fingers.

3. Spray the mixture with witch hazel until it reaches a slightly damp consistency. What you’re looking for is the mixture to hold form when you squish it into a ball in your hand.

4. Add flower petals to one half of the bath bomb mold. Fill with bath bomb mix.

5. Add more flowers and more mix to the other half.

6. Squeeze halves together firmly.

7. Carefully, open the mold and tap ball onto a drying area like plastic wrap over a towel. Let dry completely for a few hours.

8. Wrap in a pretty bag with ribbon for gift giving!

These can also be made in muffin tins or ice trays instead of bath bomb molds.

Linking up:

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Homemade Soap

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February 23, 2016 By Jennifer 14 Comments

We had a fun activity accompanying our science curriculum: soap making!

The kids all know that we use parts of plants in skin care, but this was a fun project.

We first measured out the soap base.

Tori melted the soap down in a glass bowl over a pot of water.

We added oatmeal and vitamin E to the melted soap base.

Last, we added lavender essential oil to the soap.

Dad ladeled out the molten soap into the rose-shaped molds.

The soap set up pretty quickly on the counter. Our house is always cold!

We popped the finished soaps out of the mold after a couple hours, just to make sure they were all set.

The soaps turned out so pretty with the oatmeal and rose shapes. They smell great!

These are perfect presents for all sorts of occasions.

Soap Recipe:

I chose to omit the use of lye since the children were completing this assignment. I’m sure the soap would be improved with its addition, but it is dangerous and I’m unfamiliar with it.

10 oz soap base (goat’s milk, glycerin, shea butter)

3 oz vitamin E

1/2 cup oatmeal

Optional add-ins: 20 drops essential oils, 3-4 oz honey, 1/4 cup dried flowers

Directions:

Measure soap base with a kitchen scale.

Melt soap base in a double boiler. Remove from heat.

Stir in oatmeal, vitamin E, and any optional items.

Add essential oils, if using.

Pour or ladle into pretty soap molds.

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

Pop out of molds carefully.

Wrap with cellophane, ribbons, labels, and give as gifts!

Linking up: ABC Creative Learning, Living Montessori Now, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Play Dough and Popsicles, Curly Crafty Mom, The Practical Mom, A Life in Balance, The Life of Faith, Cornerstone Confessions, The Modest Mom, A Proverbs 31 Wife, A Mama’s Story, F Dean Hackett, Timewarp Wife, Our Home of Many Blessings, Natural Beach Living, Crystal and Comp, True Aim Education, Whole Hearted Home, Pat and Candy, Classical Homemaking, Your Homebased Mom, Home Stories A to Z, Raising Homemakers, Hip Homeschool Moms, Wondermom Wannabe, A Bountiful Love, I Choose Joy, Peonies and Orange Blossoms, Creative Home Keeper, Frog’s Lilypad, The Deliberate Mom, Christian Montessori Network, A Kreative Whim, Life with Lorelai, Happy and Blessed Home, Susan B Mead, Our 4 Kiddos, xoxo Rebecca, Arabah Joy, The Jenny Evolution, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons, Crafty Moms Share, Ask Latisha,

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Homemade Hair Spray

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May 22, 2015 By Jennifer 4 Comments

I seldom use products in my hair.

I have a teen daughter and she’s been begging me to find a way to make a natural hairspray for some of her parties and events.

Have you read the labels on hairspray?

We strive for a chemical-free home, and I have to provide great natural alternatives to the commercial beauty and personal care products out there.

And most commercial hair sprays are bad for the environment, especially the aerosol sprays.

My daughter complained of choking on all the hair spray applied on her at a salon for an updo and when she was getting done up backstage for a play. She has lots and lots of thick hair and going hairspray-free isn’t an option for her to hold some styles.

Here’s a simple hair spray that held my daughter’s hair so well and smelled great – with no chemicals!

Hair Spray Recipe

Essentials:

2 cups boiling water (I used my water cooker)
2-3 T white sugar
1-2 T vodka or isopropyl alcohol (I wonder: would witch hazel work?)
10 drops essential oil (I love Citrus or Bergamot or Ylang Ylang– something fun or floral)

Optional Additions:

1-2 T juice of orange (for dark hair) or lemon (for light hair)
1/4 c aloe vera juice

Dissolve the sugar in the water.

After cooling, mix in the vodka and essential oil.

Add juice if using.

Pour into a sprayer bottle and enjoy!

I misted my daughter’s hair before hot rollers, and then liberally spritzed the rollers to set. She had gorgeous waves!

Her hair definitely felt like it had hair spray in it, but smelled great and wasn’t sticky. I could run my fingers through it. It didn’t hold up the whole evening, but her hair doesn’t hold a curl super well. I think it would hold an updo just fine.

Homemade hair spray saves money, protects the environment, and makes your hair healthier!

Linking up: Simply Rachel

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Natural Bug Spray

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April 20, 2015 By Jennifer 2 Comments

I am one of those people who must have a neon sign to bugs that screams, “Come and get it!” Bugs like to chew on me and I used to spend most of the warm months scratching and itching.

I like prevention.

I don’t like using those chemical bug sprays. They smell disgusting and aren’t good to put on your skin. Whatever you put on your skin eventually makes its way into your bloodstream. So, those nasty chemicals in commercial repellants have DEET and other poisons. Do you want that in your blood or your kids’ blood?

We like to natural methods that bugs don’t like.

Sick bugs. Healthy kids.

We have the added fun bonus of icky ticks running rampant here in Germany. I don’t want ticks on us. I know people who have contracted Lyme disease!

Homemade Natural Bug Spray

One oil will do the trick. We like to create a fun blend that’s just right for our family.

We love the scent of Lemongrass. A great fresh blend is Rosemary, Lemon, and Lavender. We diffuse that all the time at home!

We always diffuse Lemongrass when we go camping. Our campsite is the only one with no flies or mosquitoes!

I created my family’s bug spray with Rosemary, Lemongrass, Lavender, Lemon, and Citronella.

It smells divine – not at all like those chemical bug sprays that I can almost taste after spraying. Yuck!

We haven’t noticed any problems with our recipe and it smells amazing. So amazing that people compliment us on our perfume!

My kids love to get all sprayed before we head out. They’re happy scents. Be aware that citrus oils are photo-sensitive and can lead to skin burning in sunlight.

These also work great diffused or sprayed where bugs like to enter our home or gather. We get fruit flies in the summer and don’t have screens on our windows. Rolladens don’t keep all the flies out. We often spray diluted peppermint around our windows and sinks to get rid of ants and spiders.

You really just need two ingredients to make a natural bug spray. It’s super simple.

(Have you read the list of ingredients in a commercial bug spray?!)

Carrier oil:

Coconut oil for a cream or lotion – mix 8 oz. with 40-50 drops of essential oils. In hot weather, this will become liquid, so keep it in a cool place like the fridge or cooler for travel.
Witch hazel (or vodka) for a spray – mix 4 oz with 40-50 drops of essential oils. The witch hazel offers an added dimension to skin health and keeps the water from developing bacteria.

Add water to fill a spray bottle. You could make everyone his or her own personal blend in little bottles. Or make a larger family batch by multiplying the ingredients. With 6 of us, we go through a lot of spray. You can also add vitamin E if the spray dries your skin out.

Essential oils we love:

These essential oils can work as repellants to insects:

Rosemary
Citronella
Clove
Geranium
Lavender
Eucalyptus
Lemon
Cedarwood
Peppermint
Lemongrass (has been known to attract bees, so be aware of that)
Basil
Thyme

Be sure to use glass spray bottles and jars with essential oil products so you can reuse them again and again. Plastic will work for short-term use, but some of the oils will eventually corrode plastic.

If a sneaky bug does make it through that 1-millimeter-squared bit of space on your skin, Lemongrass works like a charm on the itch. Also Lavender with witch hazel is a great skin-soother, if you happen to step in an ant colony or some other tragedy.

Bugs also don’t like vinegar. I clean my counters with white vinegar often in summer to keep ants away. Also, some recipes I’ve seen call for EOs with ACV. I don’t know if my kids would go for that!

Isn’t it wonderful that we can smell nice and be healthy while making it uncomfortable for creepy critters with our natural bug spray?

Also, check out our natural sunscreen recipe!

Linking up: Burlap and Babies, Mommy Crusader, A Life in Balance, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Golden Reflections , My Joyfilled Life, Happy and Blessed Home, xoxo Rebecca, 123Homeschool4Me, Hip Homeschooling, All Kinds of Things, Wife Mom Geek, Kids Activities Blog

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10 DIY Gifts with Essential Oils

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November 12, 2014 By Jennifer 3 Comments

Want some DIY gift ideas?

Someone into natural health and beauty would love these items!

Check out these 10 DIY gifts with essential oils:

1. Simple Homemade Cleaner.

As simple as baking soda and essential oils in a pretty jar. I like the oily combination of Thieves, Peppermint, and Citrus. Perfect for cleaning the bathroom and scrubbing your nose. Super safe and smells great! For really good cleaning, add some vinegar.

2. Scented Play Dough.

Add essential oils (or even dry spice blends like Apple or Pumpkin!), glitter, and natural food coloring for pretty fun!

Simple play dough recipe: Mix in warm nonstick pan.

2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar

Add essential oils, glitter, and natural food coloring and knead until desired consistency. Store in pretty jar with a ribbon. I like Cinnamon, Lavender, Citrus, or Peppermint.

3. Beauty Serum.

Great for all skin types and smells amazing. Check out the recipe here. What lady wouldn’t love to find this in her stocking? Great way to get teens into a good skin care routine. Another super easy skin recipe is whipped coconut oil with Lavender.

4. Bath Soothers.

Add about 10-15 drops of any of these essential oils: Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Rosemary, Lavender, Clove, Cinnamon, Peppermint (decide what scents you love) to a baking soda paste (about 1-2 cups of baking soda with about 1/2 c water until it’s pasty like putty). Place in a pretty silicone muffin tray to dry for about 30 minutes. Pop out and store in a pretty bag with a ribbon. (Beware use with children. These are “hot” oils and could irritate lungs.)

5. Roll-on Blends.

Add essential oils to a carrier oil like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almond Oil, fractionated Coconut Oil, or V-6 for personalized blends in pretty and easy roll-on bottles. Some of my favorite oils and blends are Cedarwood and Lavender, Frankincense and Lemon, Thieves, Valor, Pine and Orange.

6. Scented Bath Salts.

Super simple!

1 c Epsom Salt, 1/2 c baking soda, 10 drops of a soothing essential oil like Lavender.

Mix and place in a pretty jar! Add a sprig of dried lavender and a little scoop to the ribbon for a pretty and useful present. Check out this lovely post about a relaxing bath.

7. Scented Salt Dough Ornaments.

Pretty and fun for the whole family. Great for an ornament exchange party!

Recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water

Add essential oils and natural food coloring to dough. Cut out in pretty shapes. Acrylic paints and glitter (optional). Bake at 225 F for 3-6 hours. Seal with lacquer (optional) but they will last longer and be shiny. Not sure if they will smell as great though. Add a hanging ribbon.

8. Pretty Soap.

You can get a goat’s milk soap base and melt it down. Add essential oils and oatmeal or dried herbs for extra oomp. Place in a pretty soap mold or silicone muffin tin to harden. Pop out and wrap up in pretty paper! See this soap recipe my kids use!

9. Sugar Scrub.

A great pampering gift for anyone! Makes skin smooth and smell great!

Recipe:

Melt coconut oil in a double boiler (I often just use a glass jar). Stir in white or brown sugar until desired consistency. Add essential oil and 1 drop of natural food coloring, if desired.

½ cup coconut oil
1½ – 2 cups sugar
5-10 drops Peppermint oil

I also really love this coffee sugar scrub!

10. Lip Balm.

Pamper those lips!

Recipe: Melt wax, honey, butter, and oil together in a glass jar or double boiler. Remove from heat and add essential oils. While still liquid, pour into a lip balm containers and cool until hardened. You can also use old mint tins or little balm jars.

1/4 Cup Beeswax
2 Teaspoons Honey
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup shea or cocoa butter
10 drops of essential oil (whatever you like – Peppermint, Lavender, Citrus)

These fun and easy DIY items are great for a make and take party too.

Linking up: Golden Reflections Blog, Kids Activities Blog, Sunny Day Family

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Homemade Sunscreen

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March 31, 2014 By Jennifer 13 Comments

It’s ironic to make sunscreen when it’s snowing outside. The end of March and we get snow all day long! I am getting depressed with winter.

I long for sunny days and warmer temperatures and the need for sunscreen! I’m preparing and wishfully thinking.

I love the scent and texture of this natural homemade sunscreen.

It works great, smells great, moisturizes, doesn’t break our skin out, and doesn’t have any of those nasty unpronouncable ingredients.

It’s pretty water-resistant too.

Water Resistant Sunscreen Recipe:

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Coconut Oil (natural SPF of 10+)
1/4 cup Beeswax (try to get some locally for even more health benefits!) This makes it water-resistant.
2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide powder (natural SPF of 20+)
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (I love the scent of this stuff!)
2 Tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF of 5+)
40-50 drops of Essential Oils (I use about 10 drops each of Lavender, Helichrysum, Myrrh, Roman Chamomile, Carrot Seed)

Melt the oils (except vitamin E and essential oils) over medium heat in a double boiler or in a glass jar and fill the pot halfway up the side of your jar with water. Stir with a wooden spoon. I sometimes just use a disposable plastic spoon or even wooden chopstick! I typically don’t use metal spoons when dealing with essential oils in case they react.

Let the oil mixture cool to almost room temperature, but not yet solidified, then add the vitamin E oil, zinc oxide, and essential oils. After an hour or so, it will solidify to a nice creamy lotion. If you keep it really chilled, you could put this into pretty shaped molds and have a lotion bar.

I found this glass jar in the container section of Walmart. Hobby Lobby has a nice selection too. I love pretty glass jars with good sealable lids!

This homemade natural sunscreen has at least 30 SPF with the essential oils and all those natural ingredients! It smells amazing and is good for your skin – with no scary chemicals. I have so many friends and family members who are allergic to commercial sunscreens and they have to be really careful when they go out on sunny days. With this, they won’t have to worry so much! And it smells great and doesn’t leave our skin greasy.

We do have to reapply this a bit more often than commercial sunscreens if we’re spending the whole day at a pool or beach.

TAN ENHANCER: You need the sun’s exposure, but not to the point of burning. Try this simple recipe to nourish your skin with healthy oils, while resisting some of the harmful UV rays. As always, use care and common sense with the amount of time your skin is exposed to the sun. RECIPE: Mix 6 T coconut oil with 1 T sesame oil. Rub into the skin. According to Sue Frederick, author of A Mother’s Guide to Raising Healthy Children, sesame oil resists 30% of UV rays while coconut oil blocks out about 20%. Info has not been evaluated by the FDA.

Want a super quick 3-ingredient sunscreen?

4-5 oz Your favorite natural lotion (We love the ones from Lemongrass Spa!)
1-2 T Zinc Oxide
12-15 drops Carrot Seed essential oil

I also love the products and recipes in HardLotion eBooks.

We also use the natural sunscreens from Lemongrass Spa since they’re easily packable.

Also, check out my natural bug spray recipe!

Linking up: Mind Body Sole, Your Homebased Mom, Kids Activities Blog, Lamberts Lately, Easy Peasy Life Matters, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, A Kreative Whim, Frugal Mommas, The Usual Mayhem,

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