I am no longer going to be posting in this blog. I have created a new blog and will be posting in this from now on..I think the title fits my lifestyle better. I will be posting my introduction tomorrow..
craftycrunchysahm.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Lip Scuff for Chapped Lips
This is a simple tip to fix ugly ragged chapped lips. I love it. While it doesn't keep your lips from being chapped it rids you of the dry skin that like to cling to your lips and hurts when you try to pull it off. All you need is baking soda, water, and a soft bristled tooth brush. Put a small amount of baking soda in the palm of your hand add just enough water to form a thick paste. Dip the bristles of the toothbrush into the paste and gently brush your lips in a small circular motion. Wash off, apply chapstick and enjoy the softness!
From Dry Skin to Beauty
I've been looking through beauty care recipes for quite some time and only recently did I finally figure out a beauty regimen that works for me. This is formulated specifically to fit the needs of those with dry skin.For years I have suffered from pain on my face because of dry skin. I was never able to use soap without it drying out my skin and so I continued for years to only use water to wash my face, which leaves something to be wanted. Recently I read that you can use oatmeal in place of soap. VERY simple and I have been doing this for two weeks so far and it has done wonders for me! My skin no longer hurts. Which is a big change for me!
Here is my regimen:
Start with body brushing before showering in the morning. Get a small natural bristle brush and brush your whole body always working towards your heart. For example, start at your feet and hands and work your way in. This helps with circulation and also brushes off dry flakes of skin sticking to you.Do this gently or it will only irritte your skin, let the brush do the work for you and use very light pressure.
Next, while in the shower you can use ground oatmeal(just grind it up real quick in a food processor) as a body scrub(directions below). Just scrub it over your entire body and rinse. Quick, easy, and cleansing!
I then use a homemade shampoo for my hair and rinse. The recipe is below.I sometimes also use this shampoo mixture for other parts of my body(particularly places like the feet and armpits) since the oatmeal doesn't have much scent to it. Before exiting the shower after turning off the water I pour an apple cider vinegar rinse over all of my hair then towel dry. Apple cider vinegar restores your pH balance. You can use this same rinse to spritz your body and face, after washing. Then follow with a moisturizer(recipe below).
Oatmeal Scrub:
-Grind some oatmeal in a food processor, leave some small chunks since they work as scrubbers.
-Put a little water into the ground oatmeal to make a paste. Let sit for 1 minute before use
-Can be used as full body wash including a daily facial cleanser for those whose skin dries out with soap.
Shampoo:
-8 oz bottle unscented liquid castile soap
-8 oz distilled water(using distilled water prevents product from going bad quickly)
-20 drops essential oils of choice (I personally use a mix of peppermint and tea tree, and sometimes use sweet orange)
-1 tsp jojoba oil(I didn't use this in mine and it still worked fine, you could probably use extra virgin olive oil or something in place of it if you want)
Mix all ingredients together. Best to store in a blue or brown colored glass bottle, but I have successfully store it in a plain plastic bottle. They say that light effects the essential oils and they won't smell as strong, but it you use it up quickly enough it really won't make a big difference.
If store in a colored glass container use within 1 year.
ACV Rinse- and Astringent
-2 cups distilled water
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-10 drops of your choice of essential oil. I find that sweet orange works well to cover up the scent of the vinegar.
Fact: Sweet orange is also a safe to use essential oil for children(babies) and pregnant women.
Mix together in bottle, pour over hair after washing. Can also put in a spritzer bottle to spray over body after shower. And also use as a facial astringent, following with moisturizer.
Moisturizer
-1 Tablespoon Cocoa Butter
-7 Tablepoons Coconut oil(extra-virgin, unrefined)
-40 drops vanilla or sweet orange essential oil(optional)
Warm coconut oil and cocoa butter over low heat in a small saucepan, until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Add essential oils and stir to blend then pour into storage container. Allow to set for about 2 hours.
-Use within 1 year
-Immediately following bath or shower while still damp, massage oil blend into skin. Using very small amounts at a time. A little goes a long way!! Can be used as face moisturizer as well as for body.
Before Bed:
At the end of the day it is probably the most important time to take care of your skin. If you leave the grime of the day on your face before going to bed, this is when you end up with acne! If you already have acne then going to bed before taking care of your face will make it worse. Before bed I wash my face with the oatmeal scrub, dry my face. Using a cotton ball I apply the apple cider astringent. Then apply the moisturizer! and you are ready for bed! The moisturizer sometimes is what puts me to sleep at night. While your skin is taking in the oil it seems to make your face tingle. I love it!
Here is my regimen:
Start with body brushing before showering in the morning. Get a small natural bristle brush and brush your whole body always working towards your heart. For example, start at your feet and hands and work your way in. This helps with circulation and also brushes off dry flakes of skin sticking to you.Do this gently or it will only irritte your skin, let the brush do the work for you and use very light pressure.
Next, while in the shower you can use ground oatmeal(just grind it up real quick in a food processor) as a body scrub(directions below). Just scrub it over your entire body and rinse. Quick, easy, and cleansing!
I then use a homemade shampoo for my hair and rinse. The recipe is below.I sometimes also use this shampoo mixture for other parts of my body(particularly places like the feet and armpits) since the oatmeal doesn't have much scent to it. Before exiting the shower after turning off the water I pour an apple cider vinegar rinse over all of my hair then towel dry. Apple cider vinegar restores your pH balance. You can use this same rinse to spritz your body and face, after washing. Then follow with a moisturizer(recipe below).
Oatmeal Scrub:
-Grind some oatmeal in a food processor, leave some small chunks since they work as scrubbers.
-Put a little water into the ground oatmeal to make a paste. Let sit for 1 minute before use
-Can be used as full body wash including a daily facial cleanser for those whose skin dries out with soap.
Shampoo:
-8 oz bottle unscented liquid castile soap
-8 oz distilled water(using distilled water prevents product from going bad quickly)
-20 drops essential oils of choice (I personally use a mix of peppermint and tea tree, and sometimes use sweet orange)
-1 tsp jojoba oil(I didn't use this in mine and it still worked fine, you could probably use extra virgin olive oil or something in place of it if you want)
Mix all ingredients together. Best to store in a blue or brown colored glass bottle, but I have successfully store it in a plain plastic bottle. They say that light effects the essential oils and they won't smell as strong, but it you use it up quickly enough it really won't make a big difference.
If store in a colored glass container use within 1 year.
ACV Rinse- and Astringent
-2 cups distilled water
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-10 drops of your choice of essential oil. I find that sweet orange works well to cover up the scent of the vinegar.
Fact: Sweet orange is also a safe to use essential oil for children(babies) and pregnant women.
Mix together in bottle, pour over hair after washing. Can also put in a spritzer bottle to spray over body after shower. And also use as a facial astringent, following with moisturizer.
Moisturizer
-1 Tablespoon Cocoa Butter
-7 Tablepoons Coconut oil(extra-virgin, unrefined)
-40 drops vanilla or sweet orange essential oil(optional)
Warm coconut oil and cocoa butter over low heat in a small saucepan, until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Add essential oils and stir to blend then pour into storage container. Allow to set for about 2 hours.
-Use within 1 year
-Immediately following bath or shower while still damp, massage oil blend into skin. Using very small amounts at a time. A little goes a long way!! Can be used as face moisturizer as well as for body.
Before Bed:
At the end of the day it is probably the most important time to take care of your skin. If you leave the grime of the day on your face before going to bed, this is when you end up with acne! If you already have acne then going to bed before taking care of your face will make it worse. Before bed I wash my face with the oatmeal scrub, dry my face. Using a cotton ball I apply the apple cider astringent. Then apply the moisturizer! and you are ready for bed! The moisturizer sometimes is what puts me to sleep at night. While your skin is taking in the oil it seems to make your face tingle. I love it!
Friday, October 23, 2009
White Chicken Chili Recipe
I wasn't planning to do recipes on this blog but I changed my mind. There are a few recipes I do want to share. The first was a lava cake recipe but I am having a hard time finding where in the heck I put it...hopefully I will find it later. For now I'd like to post a white chicken chili recipe. I love this stuff. It's amazing and SOO easy to make!
Ingredients:
8 oz cooked and shredded chicken(or more if you like it really meaty)
2 -14 oz cans chicken broth
3 -15 oz cans Great Northern Beans, drained
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped(optional)
1 1/2 cups chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves(1 tsp from the jar stuff)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
Directions:
Mix everything together in crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
SIMPLE!!! However if you are not a fan of bell pepper then you probably won't like this. I personally LOVE bell pepper so this is perfect for a sick day! I don't add the jalapeno but if you want it to be spicy then don't forget to add it. This is my favorite crock pot recipe, enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 oz cooked and shredded chicken(or more if you like it really meaty)
2 -14 oz cans chicken broth
3 -15 oz cans Great Northern Beans, drained
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped(optional)
1 1/2 cups chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves(1 tsp from the jar stuff)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
Directions:
Mix everything together in crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
SIMPLE!!! However if you are not a fan of bell pepper then you probably won't like this. I personally LOVE bell pepper so this is perfect for a sick day! I don't add the jalapeno but if you want it to be spicy then don't forget to add it. This is my favorite crock pot recipe, enjoy!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Laundry Detergent
This is a very simple recipe and it is very effective. I have done two loads of laundry since I made it this morning. It seems to work as good if not better than the commercial brand! I also did happen to find a post by a girl who did a science project testing this homemade "green" cleaner recipe against Tide. She poored beat juice on two seperate items and the homemade actually did better than the Tide! But who knows how accurate this was since it was posted by a kid. I'm considering trying out testing it for myself as it's caught my curiosity!
Ingredients:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap (you can also use Ivory or Zote brand)
1/2 cup washing soda(not to be mistaken for baking soda!! Totally different things)
1/2 cup borax powder
2 gallon bucket
Grate soap and put in saucepan with 6 cups water. Heat until soap melts(I heated on medium and let it sit and slowly melt...not sure if this affected my results). After it's melted add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into bucket then add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let soap sit for 24 hours and it will gel(mine starting gelling once it started cooling off). This makes 2 gallons. Use 1/2 cup per load. 64 loads per batch.
Total cost of one batch of this came out to $1.53
So basically I am paying only 15% of average cost.
Ingredients:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap (you can also use Ivory or Zote brand)
1/2 cup washing soda(not to be mistaken for baking soda!! Totally different things)
1/2 cup borax powder
2 gallon bucket
Grate soap and put in saucepan with 6 cups water. Heat until soap melts(I heated on medium and let it sit and slowly melt...not sure if this affected my results). After it's melted add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into bucket then add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let soap sit for 24 hours and it will gel(mine starting gelling once it started cooling off). This makes 2 gallons. Use 1/2 cup per load. 64 loads per batch.
Total cost of one batch of this came out to $1.53
So basically I am paying only 15% of average cost.
ETA: This laundry detergent is awesome! The more I use it the more I love it!
Deoderant
It costs 50 cents to make this homemade deoderant(without the essential oils) I am not sure how much it costs to add the essential oils, but they aren't needed for the product to work.
Antiperspirant deoderants contain aluminum which basically blocks offthe pores in your armpits and prevents them from excreting sweat. Does anyone think this could be harmful? I personally do. While I can find no conclusive evidence that aluminum based deoderants cause breast cancer and alzheimer's, I think it's worth it in the end not to use it. Alzheimer's is my biggest fear as far as old age goes, since my Granny has it and it has deteriorated her horribly. I try to limit my exposure to aluminum. But one thing I hadn't even thought of until recently was how damaging my deoderant could possibly be! So, I set out in search for homemade deoderant. This deoderant uses all ingredients that you can probably find in your cupboards already. I just made this today so I'm not quite sure yet how well it works. I read in one article where someone had tried it that it took their body 6-8 weeks to adjust before they stopped sweating as much. Which makes me think even more about the aluminum based deoderants causing issues. Similar to the issue of, is there a need for shampoo? Some people have tested this and after a while of using only water they never had to use shampoo again because the oils in there scalp and hair balanced out.
Think back in biblical times. Did they wash their hair every day with soap? No! I never understood how that was possible since the longer I go without washing my hair the more my head itches. But after reading multiple reviews of going without I realize that maybe none of these things are really truly needed as desperately as the world has brought us up to believe. I probably won't be one to test the no shampoo thing, which is why I posted a homemade shampoo recipe yesterday. I just have too many scalp problems to go without, but for guys I think this is a great idea! They have short hair anyways, they get it cut every month or every two weeks. Now my husband could never try this because where he works he gets covered in grease(mechanic) so he of course needs something to wash it out. But for those that work at a computer desk all day or work inside somewhere in a clean environment, I believe this could be worth a try! It would definitely save you some money!
Okay, I guess I am getting off topic. Back to deoderant. Why stuff aluminum up your pores when you can make deoderant for practically nothing out of ingredients in your own home?
Here's the recipe:
2-6 T coconut oil (I used around 3-4)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch(I couldn't find any arrowroot so I just used cornstarch)
Combine dry ingredients then slowly mix in the coconut oil until it maintains the substance desired.
You can stuff this into an old deoderant container. If you wish you can also add some tea tree essential oil but it's not needed.
This will not STOP you from sweating, but will preventing you from smelling. The longer you use it though, the less you should be sweating. Especially if you were using an aluminum based deoderant beforehand. I will update this after I have been using it for a few weeks to let everyone know how its worked so far for me.
Note: You need to be lighter of hand when putting this on or you will over apply and it will get on your clothes. Coconut oil gets harder when cold so if you find the substance is too soft try keeping it in the fridge(if you don't mind the cold on your armpits)!
Also if you do not feel like dealing with the ingredients you can always just take and old makeup brush and brush baking soda on your armpits after a shower just after you towel dry. The moisture still in your skin will make the baking soda stick. You have to do this right after the shower though or else bacteria will have a chance to grow before getting it on, which will leave it useless.
Antiperspirant deoderants contain aluminum which basically blocks offthe pores in your armpits and prevents them from excreting sweat. Does anyone think this could be harmful? I personally do. While I can find no conclusive evidence that aluminum based deoderants cause breast cancer and alzheimer's, I think it's worth it in the end not to use it. Alzheimer's is my biggest fear as far as old age goes, since my Granny has it and it has deteriorated her horribly. I try to limit my exposure to aluminum. But one thing I hadn't even thought of until recently was how damaging my deoderant could possibly be! So, I set out in search for homemade deoderant. This deoderant uses all ingredients that you can probably find in your cupboards already. I just made this today so I'm not quite sure yet how well it works. I read in one article where someone had tried it that it took their body 6-8 weeks to adjust before they stopped sweating as much. Which makes me think even more about the aluminum based deoderants causing issues. Similar to the issue of, is there a need for shampoo? Some people have tested this and after a while of using only water they never had to use shampoo again because the oils in there scalp and hair balanced out.
Think back in biblical times. Did they wash their hair every day with soap? No! I never understood how that was possible since the longer I go without washing my hair the more my head itches. But after reading multiple reviews of going without I realize that maybe none of these things are really truly needed as desperately as the world has brought us up to believe. I probably won't be one to test the no shampoo thing, which is why I posted a homemade shampoo recipe yesterday. I just have too many scalp problems to go without, but for guys I think this is a great idea! They have short hair anyways, they get it cut every month or every two weeks. Now my husband could never try this because where he works he gets covered in grease(mechanic) so he of course needs something to wash it out. But for those that work at a computer desk all day or work inside somewhere in a clean environment, I believe this could be worth a try! It would definitely save you some money!
Okay, I guess I am getting off topic. Back to deoderant. Why stuff aluminum up your pores when you can make deoderant for practically nothing out of ingredients in your own home?
Here's the recipe:
2-6 T coconut oil (I used around 3-4)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch(I couldn't find any arrowroot so I just used cornstarch)
Combine dry ingredients then slowly mix in the coconut oil until it maintains the substance desired.
You can stuff this into an old deoderant container. If you wish you can also add some tea tree essential oil but it's not needed.
This will not STOP you from sweating, but will preventing you from smelling. The longer you use it though, the less you should be sweating. Especially if you were using an aluminum based deoderant beforehand. I will update this after I have been using it for a few weeks to let everyone know how its worked so far for me.
Note: You need to be lighter of hand when putting this on or you will over apply and it will get on your clothes. Coconut oil gets harder when cold so if you find the substance is too soft try keeping it in the fridge(if you don't mind the cold on your armpits)!
Also if you do not feel like dealing with the ingredients you can always just take and old makeup brush and brush baking soda on your armpits after a shower just after you towel dry. The moisture still in your skin will make the baking soda stick. You have to do this right after the shower though or else bacteria will have a chance to grow before getting it on, which will leave it useless.
ETA:After a few months using this, I actually gave up on it because my armpits started getting itchy. This reaction could have been due to other helath problems that I was having at the time so I will be retrying it shortly. I also was not using a quality coconut oil which may have affected the outcome.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Lemon Cleaner
Today I tried out a recipe for lemon cleaner, meant to be used pretty much everywhere. Though I'm sure will streak glass. It didn't seem to leave any streaking behind on my counters and left them sparkling clean. I am planning to try this on my mother in laws marble to see if there is any streaking there and I will update this with the results.
Ingredients:
1 tsp borax
1/2 tsp washing soda
2 T lemon juice
Combine ingredients in spray bottle. Add one cup of very hot water and shake well to mix and dissolve dry ingredients. Spray on surface and wipe off with sponge or rag.
This can be stored indefinitely. It costs me $0.52 per batch.
Very simple, cheap and effective! I bought the borax for around $3 the washing soda for about the same and they are large boxes. These ingredients would probably be enough for the next 3 years at least, probably longer! I believe both boxes were around 3-5 lbs.
The next thing I am planning to try is lemon wood cleaner. I ran out of olive oil though so I'm unable to make it right now.
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Very simple, sounds effective and is definitely cheaper and better for your wood furniture than most wood polishes you find at the grocery store.
Ingredients:
1 tsp borax
1/2 tsp washing soda
2 T lemon juice
Combine ingredients in spray bottle. Add one cup of very hot water and shake well to mix and dissolve dry ingredients. Spray on surface and wipe off with sponge or rag.
This can be stored indefinitely. It costs me $0.52 per batch.
Very simple, cheap and effective! I bought the borax for around $3 the washing soda for about the same and they are large boxes. These ingredients would probably be enough for the next 3 years at least, probably longer! I believe both boxes were around 3-5 lbs.
The next thing I am planning to try is lemon wood cleaner. I ran out of olive oil though so I'm unable to make it right now.
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Very simple, sounds effective and is definitely cheaper and better for your wood furniture than most wood polishes you find at the grocery store.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
