Homemade Reviews

In the past few months I've been all over the homemade/from scratch/natural recipes and stuff. I've learned some very important things that I think are important for all of you to know if you're going to making these things as well.

Deoderant- the recipe I use includes baking soda, coconut oil, cornstarch, and essential oils. I've learned that too much coconut oil makes it really difficult 1) to put on, 2) it gets all over my clothes, and 3) it doesn't work as well. I've also learned that too much baking soda irritates my skin horribly. Once I remember what the recipe for my deodorant is, I will post it. 

Cleaning Supplies- I borrowed a couple books from a friend at work. One was about baking soda (which i pretty much use to clean everything now), and green cleaning products. I loved the baking soda book, but was slightly disappointed in the other book because it had so many recipes including this castille soap everyone is so hyped up on. I don't really like the idea of using it. If I wanted to use something like that I'd make it myself. 

I also refuse to use dawn dish soap in any of my recipes because it's not natural. I have to chuckle at all these people posting recipes on Pinterest that include dawn, and they call it natural. Just say no.

So I have made all purpose cleaners, dusting spray, bathroom cleaners, and window/mirror spray. All of them include either baking soda or vinegar. I'm working on getting rid of our commercial cleaners and then we'll be switching completely to homemade, natural cleaners.

Shampoo- my sister introduced me to using baking soda as shampoo. I LOVE it, except that I don't feel like it gets everywhere in my hair. So what I've decided to do is make my own concoction including baking soda, xanthan gum....and of course essential oils. More on that later.

Conditioner- When I started out using baking soda for shampoo, I also tried out apple cider vinegar for conditioner. Nope, don't like it. It doesn't feel like it does anything except smell funny. So I stopped. Now I'm thinking of trying the same thing but once again using xanthan gum and who knows what else. More on that later as well.

Salves- I've made bug-repellent salve and a decongestant salve. I haven't had a chance to use the decongestant salve yet, but the bug repellent works great. My bug repellent is basically coconut oil mixed with a few drops each of vanilla and peppermint essential oils. I want to make another one using catnip too because I've heard that works well also. The decongestant salve I made with coconut oil, beeswax, eucalyptus e.o. and i believe lemon e.o. Like I said I haven't had the chance to use it yet so more on that later.

Bath teas and bath bombs- Way to much fun, they are. I will be doing a separate post on them (btw I made my bombs lemon and lime scented, yup, they smell like Sprite, it's awesome).

Soaps- I've made two batches of cold-process soaps now (each batch makes about 15 4oz bars). My first ones are orange-cicle scented (including orange peel for exfoliation), and the second batch is lavender and lemon with a hint of peppermint. They actually JUST got done curing a couple days ago so I'm anxious to try it out. Btw, if you haven't guessed yet, I refuse to make melt-and-pour soap. To me it feels like cheating so I'll stick with cold-process, which is way too much fun if you ever get the chance (especially if you have your mom help you).

It's All Coming Back to Me Now....(plus my favorite ever facewash recipe)

Wow, I really got out of the habit of posting, didn't I?

Well, here's the latest in my life:

I quit my waitressing job (yay!) and got a job at Hobby Lobby here in town (yay!), I still have to say I'm definitely a "could spend all my time piddling around at home" girl, but 1) I need the exercise and 2) I'm not one for being a hermit.

Oh, and I could use the $$$.

So, I've been at HL for almost two months now and it's great so far. Seeing as I've worked there before it's a breath of fresh I-know-what-I'm-doing.

Besides that our little Binx passed away this past Monday. Not to mention that he drowned, so it was very sudden and I was the one that found him.
I'm not ok, but I know I will be....eventually.

Moving on before I start bawling again...

At the beginning of this year I went into hyperdrive with all this homemade/natural/green/from scratch stuff. I've made deodorant, cleaning supplies, shampoo, conditioner, facewash, salves, bath teas, bath bombs, cold-process soaps, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and so much more. 

My next post will detail my reviews about all these, BUT I do have to tell you about my facewash!!!

Now this is something I am REALLY excited to tell you about. I have tried so many different recipes, most of them including oil of some sort. I hated it, I literally hated it. I came to understand that people who have gotten good results from it either didn't use it long enough to get REAL results, or their skin is special enough that it works for them. 

For me, I felt like I was caking more onto my face than taking anything off. Yes, it felt smooth after I washed my face, but it didn't feel right. I felt dirtier than before I had washed my face. So, I experimented with using coconut oil (instead of my go to grapeseed oil), sugar, and essential oils. I still didn't like it. Then, one magical day I got some green clay from my co-op to make a mask out of. The mask recipe included honey, water and the clay. Then on another magical day (actually about 2 weeks ago) I thought, "Why not try it like a facewash?" So I did the mask recipe, added some brown sugar for scrub effect, and some tea tree oil to help with break-outs. O.M.G. people. I love this stuff! It actually gets my face clean and I haven't had to worry about break-outs since I STARTED using it! The recipe goes something like this:

1 mason jar (6 oz)

circa 1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

2-3 tsp green clay

circa 15 drops tea tree oil

I mixed a little bit of honey with the clay first cause clay likes to clump. Keep adding honey a little at a time until it's all combined. Then add your sugar. Mix. Add your tea tree oil (I put in enough to just cover over the top of the mixture). Mix. Use. 

It looks like snot which is awesome, and it becomes this fun kind of slightly foamy texture which is fun too, but it also smells like honey!!! Matt has suddenly gotten into this habit of kissing my cheek a lot after I wash my face...huh....

Happy Mon...I Mean, Friday

1) I made bath bombs that smell like sprite. Recipe coming soon.
2) I made a facewash and I'm super dooper excited about it. Recipe coming soon.
3) my first batch of soap is done curing and I used it for the first time. Review coming soon.
4) I made bath teas today. Recipes and reviews coming soon.
5) More pinterest post reviews coming soon.
6) I am putting my 7 years of event planning experience into a post about planning weddings....coming soon.

7) It's May 4th and there's snow on the ground. Here's my review:
I don't like it.

Hindspite

Do you ever read through your old blog posts?

I do.

I was just reading the post titled "Not so much a disaster" and cringed.
Not just because I sound whiny and selfish but also because of what I know now.
I think almost every wife goes through those feelings and it is completely understandable but obviously still needs a solution.

When Matt and I argue, I like to start with the root issue and take care of that before dealing with the surface issue. The problem is finding the root issue. So lets try that here:
1) why was I upset? Because I felt like I had to do everything and there was do much to do.
2) How did that make me feel (the root issue)? Bombarded, taken advantage of, alone, not up to par, depressed...

If these feelings aren't taken care of, the issue will never go away.

So how do we make it go away?
1) start with the first feeling and think about what might help that?
Example: to feel less bombarded I need to have less on my plate or learn how to handle what I do have better.
2) go through the options and find the best solution- for me, I can't learn how to handle things better without giving each item the proper attention, so I need to take some things off my plate (no, you DON'T have to do everything at once).
3) make a plan and put it into action-
a. I can adk Matt to help me with some of it
b. I can go through my to do list and scratch off things that can wait to be done.
c. I can start with one item, finish it and move on to the next.

Repeat process with your other feelings.
Once you've "solved your feelings" the surface issue just seems to disappear!!!

Now, feelings can be fickle and sometimes come from places that seem out of whack, but they still need to be dealt with, or you're going to end up with a stroke from all the feelings stuffed in the back of your mind.
Most of the time all we want is for our feelings to be validated. That's ok, but the important thing is what we do about it.
Just because you feel you have the right to flip that lady off in the car beside you doesn't mean it's ok.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that just because you have a feeling doesn't mean you should act on it.
Our feelings are not the answer, they're part of the issue (good or bad) and need to have a solution.

So instead of sitting on the couch and playing on the computer, I should have been 1) trying to find a solution and 2) putting it into play.

I love FLYlady.
I have mentioned her in a couple other posts, but seriously. If you need help getting to that point where you feel like you're on top of the world (or at least your home) then PLEASE check her out! She has been a godsend not only to me but thousands maybe even millions of women around the globe. The great thing about her system is that it personalized. She gives you the bones and you fill in the rest.

Now this is where hindsight comes in:
I was so frustrated at Matt for not actually doing what he promised (which I understand now was too much for him) but once I got started with my routines, zones, decluttering etc it was EASIER for me to do it MYSELF!!! What a concept!!!

For example, with the laundry- I refused to put Matt's away because I didn't understand his drawer system. Laundry wouldn't get put away for weeks because he wouldn't do it and i'd let mine sit there because i'd get frustrated. I finally decided, after 2 1/2 years of living together, that I could look in his drawers, figure out his system, and put his laundry away for him. And if he didn't like it he could fix it! So after about a week of doing that now, guess who's happy? Both of us! I don't get frustrated because there isn't any laundry sitting around and I don't have to wait for him to do it (that may sound snarky but really, it took a huge weight off my shoulders! The feeling of accomplishment without obstacles is a heady and energizing mixture).

So what's my point of all this now that I've gone on a tangent?
Well first I have to apologize not only to you readers, but also to my Matthew for my attitude.
Second, go check out FLYlady. I'll wait...................................
Third, don't let your emotions dictate you and find them a solution that will allow you to solve surface issues without bottled up emotion and resentment.
And fourth you don't have to do it all at once (seriously, go ask FLYlady)

A piece of wisdom from my own mother to take with you: if you don't do it [take care of your house/your life] yourself, you can't expect it to get done.

Reality Check:

1) I can write whatever I want on my daily routine or my to do list. I can make as many lists as I want, but unless I actually do it, it won't get done.

2) It's never fun in the beginning, but it gets easier.

FLY My Darlings

If you have not heard of FLYlady you need to get on this boat. My mom got me into it and now I will recruit you.
Even though I do not go by her strictly, her routines and advice are normally the bones to my housework and routines.

www.flylady.net

I'll Hammar Your Toma

I just realized I never posted an update about my tumor!

I am pleased to announce that the surgery is done and over with. Back in June (or was it July) they did an out-patient surgery. I even got to see it afterward (not as gross as you think), it was huge, i mean...bigger than a golf ball. Also it turned out not to be a hamartoma. In essence it's basically a third breast growing inside my one. I can't remember the name but I'll look it up and get back to you.
As they had initially told me, it was benign.

I am SO thankful that it wasn't anything serious (there is history of breast cancer in my family).
I let this slide first noticing it in junior high and forgetting about it until just a couple years ago. It started out the size of a pea and grew to a blob monster.
Ladies PLEASE please please, check yourselves regularly and get anything abnormal checked out ASAP. Can you imagine if my tumor was cancerous?  Not good.

Please take care of yourselves.

Update: the name for it is fibroadenoma.

Ready Set Go

Important lesson from today: if you don't start your day right when you wake up, the rest of your day will suck.
When you wake up in the morning, don't just go sit your tukus on the couch and stay there.

By starting your day I mean showering/working out, getting chores done, basically start active.

This morning when I woke up, I thought, "well, I did so good yesterday and the day before that I can probably just do a relaxing day."
Well... my "relaxing day" turned into a "sitting on the couch with my eyes glued to pinterest day". Yeah, it sucked.
My mom and I had a great talk aboit a week ago about how we don't feel disciplined and need to be present in our decisions.  I think that applies here. I wasn't disciplined enough to do anything else with my day or even give myself a time limit on the tablet.
I could have worked on my writing, read a book, taken a bubble bath, drawn in my design on my apron, made a clay mask, done cross-stitching, drawn with my oil crayons, made something decorative for the house, baked something....the list goes on.
How dissappointing to look at the clock and realize it's 8pm and I haven't even spent proper time with Matt.

Lesson number three: Start your day actively.

Something that helps me is writing out a list of specific things I like to do for fun, then I can choose from it. Give yourself time limits too so you're not doing one thing the whole day.

P.S. I made a homemade laundry detergent. Still in the process of trying it out. Review to come.

The Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down...

I don't know about you all, but my least favorite days to do housework are when it's raining. I just want to curl up with my cats and a book, watch a movie, or take a nap.
It definitely doesn't put me in a lively mood.

So, today I tried to think of what I do that helps me get in the cleaning mood. For sunny days I like the windows open and filling the house with spritely music. And this in turn made me realize I need to go with the mood I am in.

For dreary days I think of lighting candles, playing jazz or even classical music. I also realized I like doing more organization type cleaning, as it's more about the mind and keeping calm, instead of scrubbing and laundry and vacuuming and picking up the floor.

Like I said in my last post: doing SOMEthing everyday is the key.
Now I have a second piece of advice: do work that goes with the flow.

Not to mention still getting some things done on a rainy day will make that nap or book worth it.

Thoughts from today...

I'm realizing slowly no matter what my routine is or how much I get done during the day, that the important thing is getting SOMEthing done everyday. I'm letting go of my perfectionism and not beating myself up for not having everything perfect by the end of the day.

And someone needs to invent a tool to put lotion on your back for you.

Mesh

In attempts to combine my blogs, I have decided that it would just be easier to post a link here to the other one.
Most of the posts on this other blog are recipes we've made, so check them out. Maybe it'll give you some ideas for meal plans.

www.mama-c-emporium.blogspot.com

Binx and Kat

...And So We Have a Brat

Meet the third addition to our little family: Katerina "Kat Rajah Johnson.

Back in March '12, Matt's mom had a pregnant stray that had her babies in the yard of the house next to them. She fed her and the kittens but needed to find a home for our little Miss Priss and her brother and sister, Kathy knew we had just gotten Binx and wondered if we wanted to take on another cat. So on our next visit in September, we brought Binx and went over to take a look. Kat, called "Yellow" at the time, stood out immediately, being the most playful and curious about humans. Binx suprisingly got a long with all of them, but we didn't have another boy and Georgia was already attached to Kathy's husband, so we settled on Yellow.

Choosing her name on the way home was more of a challenge. I wanted to keep with the "cats from movies" idea and kept coming back to Cat from Breakfast at Tiffany's. That led to her full name Katerina (special because of a book from my childhood as wellas Matt's mom's name).
We were all preparedfor the long-haul of getting her used to the house and to Binx, but it only took about an hour before she and Binx were best friends and she was sniffing around the house.

She's really skittish (although she's gotten a lot better), really picky with her food (she won't eat treats and doesnt pay any attention to catnip). She LOVES (and I mean LOOOOOVES) being petted and scratched, but hates being held and actually doesn't like being outside (she heads straight for the door as soon as I put her on the ground).

She also like antagonizing Binx, which I'll post pictures of in the next post.