Taking Care of Me

Let me start this post by saying I AM NOT AN EXPERT.  I have not had any cosmetology classes.  Everything I'm sharing with you today has come from trial and error, my need to save money, look good, feel healthy/better about myself, and an intense desire to get away from the excess chemicals that we're so used to seeing in products that go ON OUR SKIN!  Our skin...the largest organ on our body & so easily damaged.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of makeup & moisturizers that leave my skin irritated and flaky.  I'm tired of being allergic to all of it...the redness, the bumps, the ITCHING.  Ugh!  I'm tired of the PRICE of products that promise to work and don't deliver.  I don't wear makeup every day.  I'm not beauty obsessed, but as is human nature, I do like to look good & on occasion make up does give me a little pick-me-up that I just can't get anywhere else.  Today, I'm going to share my recipes for cleaning my face, my new lotion love, and a serum that cosmetics companies can't even come close to!

TAKING IT OFF

My eye make up that is.  For ages I used Almay or Neutrogena oil-free eye makeup remover.  Over the last couple of years it's really begun to irritate my eyes & leave my vision blurry for a couple of hours after use.  Not good.  I don't wear waterproof mascara any more (makes my eyes hate me).  There are some recipes out there that use mineral oil, olive oil, or coconut oil...CAN'T DO THAT...if oils get into your eyes, the ONLY way to remove it is surgically.  What do I use, then?  3 items in a 4 oz bottle....

1 tsp tear-free head to toe baby wash

1Tbsp pure coconut water (NOT coconut oil)

6-8 drops grapeseed oil (yeah, yeah I just said "no oil" but this one is different & I'll explain in a sec)

3.5 oz distilled water

It works, doesn't leave my eyes burning or blurry, and I'm happy.  NOW...the grapeseed oil...it's not a lot of oil and grapeseed is considered a "light" oil which means that it won't clog your pores or suffocate the skin of your face like coconut or olive oil and especially mineral oil.  It has antioxidants to help fight signs of aging, vitamins that your skin actually CRAVES, and doesn't leave behind any sort of residue.  I also take a warm washcloth immediately after using & lightly blot my skin off.

CLEANING

The simplest...EVER.  Dr. Bronner's baby mild (unscented) liquid castile soap. Four drops in my hand, a little warm water, rub gently in circular motion over face, avoiding eye area, and rinse off.  Works beautifully.  If you're acne prone, this is good for you, too.  We even use it for a body wash, my faves are the rose & almond scented...

ONCE WEEKLY EXFOLIATION

In the shower I keep a small tub of baking soda that has been pre-moistened with distilled water into a paste.  I scoop out a dime sized amount into my palm, add 4 drops of Dr Bronner's & VERY GENTLY scrub, then rinse.  The reason I emphasize gently...baking soda is a natural abrasive...rub too hard & it's like taking 80grit sandpaper to your face...not cool.  But a light circular motion scrub (believe me, you'll feel it) will do the trick.

TONER

Another 4oz travel bottle, but this one contains

2 crushed aspirin

2oz apple cider vinegar

2oz distilled water

Vinegar is an acid, but it levels the pH in your skin...put it on a cotton ball & dab lightly around your entire face, paying extra attention to breakout-prone areas, avoiding the eyes.  Did you know that if you drink a 2oz shot of apple cider vinegar every morning, you're helping your skin, hair, & digestion?  We'll have to do a vinegar post soon so you can understand why I love it so much.

FACIAL MOISTURIZING

Grapeseed oil.  Pure and simple.  Put some on a cotton pad & gently pat around my face.  It's usually soaked in by the time I'm finished brushing my teeth.  

MIRACLE EYE SERUM

2oz brown or cobalt glass bottle (available at your local health food store)

dropper lid (some bottles come with them, so check)

1 oz grapeseed oil

1/2 oz jojoba oil

5 drops rose essential oil

5 drops roman chamomile essential oil

5 drops bergamot essential oil

3 drops lavender essential oil

Nightly after washing.  Using my weakest finger (left hand ring finger), I place a small drop & pat it over my eyebrows, upper eye (NOT the lids), and under my eyes.  I also put it on the bridge of my nose.  Heck, there have been a few times that I put it on my whole face.  It feels that good!  This close-up of my gray peepers is how my makeup looks the morning after doing a serum treatment the night before.  Not bad, if I do say so myself!

No flakes, the skin is smoother, and purple/puffy....I don't know what you're talking about! *LOL*

And finally, my new neck-to-toe miracle moisturizer.  I'll give you the original recipe that I've been sitting on for nearly a year, tell you why it's good, but not great, THEN I'll share my tweaks to it & let you choose.

ORIGINAL RECIPE
16oz bottle baby lotion
8oz Vaseline
8oz vitamin E cream
Pour ingredients into a bowl & mix until it resembles pudding.  Spoon into containers.

Smells great, feels fantastic....at first.  Then after about an hour, you start to have this sticky/slick feel that takes about TEN HOURS to go away.  Why?  Short answer - WAY too much Vaseline.  Now, I live in Utah, and with our desert air, my skin has been dry for YEARS...flaky, ashy, and my feet...oh, my poor feet.  I'm a barefoot girl, but I really hated my feet.  White around the edges, cracked, peeling, and over time, they really hurt.

Someone out there is going to yell "Get your blood sugar tested, Ditzy Girl. You're diabetic!"  I can assure you, I'm NOT.  I get a little low every now and then, but that's because I burn up everything I take in and has nothing to do with this.  This is me hating shoes, running around on carpet, concrete, and my feet paying the price.  No amount of soaking, scraping callouses, and paraffin moisture wraps made it go away.  I was beginning to think nothing would help.  Till this.  Here's what I ended up with:

MAMA'S MIRACLE MOISTURIZER
yields 56 oz
16 oz bottle baby lotion (your choice, but remember the fewer ingredients, the better)
8oz Equate petroleum jelly with aloe & E (WalMart)
(2) 16 oz tubs of Clear Basics Vitamin E cream with jojoba & aloe (Family Dollar)
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil (yeah, I can admit it - I'm addicted to the stuff!)
Save the vitamin e tubs for refilling.  Pour ingredients into large bowl & mix until it looks like pale pink pudding.  Scoop back into containers & use when needed.  It feels AMAZING!  Absorbs quick, but you don't dry out or itch 3-4 hours later.  And my tootsies?  They love me again!  When I first used this, I put it on before going to bed, thinking that if they were white/dry again by morning, I'd be so upset.  This picture was taken the next day.

You should be able to right click & open in a new tab to see that there are no dry areas on my foot.  I'm very pleased with the results.  And 56oz of lotion for under $8?  You can't beat it!  It's become such a hit in our house that Middle Child and Biker Boy both took off with their own containers when they saw how much of it I had...and they use it every day!

July 2012 EDIT:  Over the last few months, I have changed my miracle moisturizer recipe.  While it worked great, I was beginning to have a hard time with the petroleum in there...the jar AND what was in the baby lotion...didn't like thinking about all the dinosaurs that died just to keep my skin soft. (tee hee)  Here's what I've changed to & not only do I feel better about what's going on our skin, it works just as well when it comes to moisturizing:

 MAMA'S MIRACLE MOISTURIZER (REVISED)
(3) 16oz tubs of Clear Basics vitamin E cream with jojoba & aloe (Family Dollar)
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
4 Tbsp of grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp sweet almond oil
1 Tbsp jojoba oil
1 oz rosewater (optional)
15 drops of rose essential oil (optional)
Again, everything dumped into a large bowl & mix until blended to pudding consistency. Repacked into the emptied tubs for storage.  It's still very inexpensive, because I had everything on hand, with the exception of the vitamin E cream...those are only about $1.75/tub.  There's still some petroleum in there, thanks to the vitamin E cream, but it's minimal compared to what it was before.

And the fragrance?  Reminds me of Rose Milk lotion...remember those little pink bottles?  I never could wear it, because of my allergy to lanolin, but I really LOVED the smell!  Now, before I mixed in the rosewater & rose oil, I did scoop some "unscented" off into a tub for my guys because they weren't too keen on "smelling like a flower shop." *LOL*  You're welcome to leave out the rosewater and change out the essential oil to keep it unscented, OR add any essential oils that you prefer...I wouldn't mix more than 2 scents together, though...they get to competing on your skin & what smells nice in the tub, can smell funky ON you!  Try chamomile & lavender, sage & orange, sweet birch & clove, lilac, peppermint...the options are endless!

Thanks for stopping by & letting me share my thrifty skin care tricks.  I hope that you might be able to use one or all of them for you and your family.  Have a great rest of your day!!

Saturday version of Frugal Friday

No pix to post on this one, but it's really too good to not share with y'all. Last night, after making a wrist corsage for Middle Child's girlfriend and their Homecoming Dance, I made my own make-up removing cloths...

I took:

a roll of paper towels cut in half

4 c of distilled water

3 Tbsp of coconut oil

the last of my Lauren Hutton facial cleanser

Then I followed the steps on THIS BLOG. The recipe is originally for making baby wipes, but these can go on baby's bum AND/OR your face...we all want something gentle on our skin that does the job that doesn't contain a ton of unnecessary chemicals.

I'm pleased to report that these really work! It even took off my Neutrogena waterproof mascara without making my eyes burn or giving me that 30 minute residual blurry vision that some wipes can give you. Here's a quick cost breakdown so you can see the savings:

Viva towels - $1.98

3pk of Rubbermaid tubs - $1.88

coconut oil - already had on hand, but approx 75¢

distilled water - already had on hand but approx 20¢

facial cleanser - already had on hand but approx 50¢

COST - $5.31

1 tub of 30 wipes - $7-12 depending on the brand & store

Now, because I ended up with two tubs, counting the sheets on your roll, you're making probably TRIPLE the amount of wipes....which means if you bought from the store, you'd spend $21-36 for what we just put together.

SAVINGS: $16-31!! Now, I don't know about you, but for ME, that's a good reason to dork dance! *LOL*

Ten hours after removing my makeup (aka this morning when I got up) my skin doesn't feel tight or oily or like I have any make-up residue left behind. Just smooth, fresh, happy skin. Next batch, I think I'm going to back down on the coconut oil (1Tbsp instead of 3) and toss in some organic aloe gel, Vitamin E oil, and grapeseed oil, since it's better for your face. I'm definitely keeping this one in my cleansing regimen!

I know, I know...where are the pix of the corsage?!? Tomorrow I'll share those...the dance is tonight. Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!!

DIY Mascara

Okay, so I mentioned last week that I tried making my own mascara. It was a semi-success and I thought I'd share how I did it. First, I figured out what ingredients would be "good" for my eyelashes, so I grabbed some vitamin E oil, organic aloe gel, and for the "coloring" I thought that activated charcoal would be a good choice.

A small pot from the natural food store and a couple of toothpicks to stir my chemistry experiment...
There are no exact measurements, I just kinda went with my instincts on this...a small squeeze of aloe, 4-5 drops of vitamin e oil, and 2 capsules opened, then stirred... {sorry it's a tad blurry}
A $3 pack of mascara wands from Sally Beauty Supply...
And the result.....
Not bad, but I think it could be thicker for more volume. I'm pondering adding a smidge of emulsifying wax, but I need to talk to some "experts" before giving it a try...I'll let ya know how it turns out.

I also thought y'all would like to see the progression of my hair growth since I donated 10 inches to Locks of Love back in late March. This is about 2 weeks after the cut & as you can see it's a good bit above my shoulders...
In July, with longer bangs and it's brushing my shoulders....
And as of last week....my bangs had hit my chin, so I grabbed my scissors & chopped 'em off, and curled it. When it's straight, it's 2 inches BELOW my shoulders. Love that my hair grows so fast!
I have a crafty/creative share for y'all tomorrow, so I hope to see ya again real soon. Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!

Frugal Friday

Today's Frugal tip: how to save yourself about $60+ per year. Do you use Febreeze? I used to. I don't know of anyone that doesn't really. Dog odors, their car, smelly bathrooms, teenager rooms...you know what I'm talking about. That stuff is EXPENSIVE! Don't you get tired of paying nearly $6 per bottle? I sure did.

About 5 months ago I started scouring the internet for DIY Febreeze & boy oh boy did I find some interesting recipes, under names like "ghetto Febreeze" (that one makes me laugh every time & pretty much what we call ours here!). Here are some of the recipes I wrangled & bookmarked, so you can choose:

1) From Instructables - trigger bottle, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol or vodka, essential oil of your choice, water - fill bottle with ingredients...the website calls for 30 drops of oil adding up as your sniffer prefers. I've used this one, but only about 1/2 the oil (a mix of lemongrass & lavender) & rubbing alcohol instead of vodka. It's good & it works. The alcohol smell IS a bit strong at first but quickly dissipates in the air.

2) From EcoMOMicalme - spray bottle, funnel, 1 cup baking soda, essential oil of your choice, water - using the funnel add baking soda to bottle, mix in warm water to fill the bottle, & add 10-12 drops of essential oil. Shake to use. The baking soda is your odor destroyer & the oil will give you the pleasant smell that you're craving. She offers a "not so green version" on this link as well.

3) From Curbly - spray bottle, 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1-2 teaspoons fabric softener.

4) From TipNut (I love this place!) - they offer four recipes here to choose from & I'm currently using recipe # 2

5) From HomemadeMamas - 2 cups warm water, 1/2 liquid fabric softener, 1 teaspoon baking soda

6) From Sarbear's Journey - 32oz spray bottle, 2 cups fabric softener, 3 tablespoons alcohol, water to fill

7) From Keeper of the Home - 2 recipes to choose from; one green using vinegar, water & essential oil, the second "semi green" using an eco-friendly fabric softener from your local health food grocery store & water.

Several options & I hope you find one that you like using. With the two that I use (#2 from TipNut & recipe #1 from Instructables) I have figured that my cost per month is LESS than 30¢ with either recipe so I only spend around $3 a year to de-stinkify my house...and with 4 males here it needs a LOT of it {shudder}. A little research, a need to save money, & willingness to try something new can yield some very pleasant results!

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Make your own shadowbox frame

Even though Stashbusting September is over, I'm still committed to going through my goodies and using what I have. It's kinda easy to do right now, since money's tight.

Last month when I was out thrift store hopping, I nabbed this lovely crocheted butterfly for only 75¢. I knew that I couldn't alter it by sewing it onto clothing or a pillow, so I decided to highlight it. My first thought was "frame it" but I didn't want it mashed under the glass. I did want it protected from dust, so the glass was needed. What to do? What to do?

A shadowbox! Most of them right out of the store are too expensive for me right now and I needed an 8x10, because this beauty measures 7 inches across. So, I decided to make my own. I took two flat unfinished frames from Dollar Tree...
Removed the backing and mats from both and the glass from one that would become the back of the frame.
I pulled the glazing points out of the one I left the glass in...And ran a bead of glue around the inside of the frame to hold the glass. I let it dry overnight.
Next morning, I grabbed my wood glue...
and put the frames together. Use clamps or heavy books, in case some of the frames are a teensy bit warped, to hold them together until the glue dries. I let mine sit overnight just as a precaution.

While the glue was drying, I went through my abundant paper stash & found an 8.5x11 sheet from Hobby Lobby that I liked. It's really close to the colors I'm slowly bringing into my bedroom. Got out my Xyron 900 & ran it through, then stuck it onto the backing that I saved when I took my frames apart.

Day 3: After the clamps were removed, I took some Elmer's natural wood filler & filled in the gaps all the way around my new frame. I like the tube for these smaller projects, because it squeezes out like a caulk bead and I just smooth/mash it in with my finger tips.
After two hours, it was ready to sand smooth. (sorry, it's a tad blurry!)

Then using my "mad skillz" acquired as a teenager masking cars for painting, I taped off the outside glass...
AND the inside....
Took it outside with my lil homemade paint booth, a can of Krylon satin finish paint (color - pebble), and went crazy. Let it dry, sanded a bit more, then shot it again.

When it was dry (thanks to thirsty wood, the Utah sun & 87° temps today, it didn't take long), I peeled off the tape, cleaned the glass with a bit of alcohol & a lint-free rag. I mounted the butterfly to the backing using a few light dots of acid-free glue, popped the backing into the frame, and.....

Ta-daa! My nifty lil $2 shadowbox!

Even Biker Boy, who usually just smiles & nods when I finish something (because he gets sick of having them stuck under his nose) gushed over how pretty it was!
I have two baby bibs that my great-aunt Josephine crocheted for me when I was expecting Oldest Child. They're packed away but deserve to be out in the open. I may have to make frames for them, too!

Thanks for stopping by & have a great rest of your day!!

Homemade Laundry Soap

Yes, I'm a new convert to this process. I've been tossing around the idea of it for the last year...ever since I searched online for and gave the recipe to my younger sister in Oklahoma. Up until this week, I never thought that I had the time to do this. I mean, I've got THREE BOYS (four if you count Biker Boy), I bust my tail most days thinking for them AND myself, I'm trying to get my fledgling business off the ground, run errands for the family, keep up with laundry, squeeze in a rare day out with a girlfriend, and everything else that day-to-day life throws my way. MAKE laundry soap? Really? Do I need to be a special type of certifiably insane to add THIS into the mix?!?

Well...*sigh*...the decision has been made for me. Whether I'm ready or not. After searching ELEVEN stores near my house for my trusty soap this week, I have found that no one is going to carry it any more. My kids & I share the same contact allergies to a lot of different fragrances, so this soap issue is a big one for me. At first, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown - one more thing that I have to scour the web for, then pay to have shipped to my house, most likely by the case-load. Was the cost going to be worth the headache?

Then I heard it...that little niggling whisper..."Suck it up, Buttercup! It's time to make the soap yourself & save some money." I bought a box of Borax, a box of baking soda, & a 3-bar pack of Ivory soap & headed home to pull up my link & read through what I needed to do. Since we moved into this house last October, I don't have the storage space any more for the 5 gallon bucket liquid versions that some folks out in the WWW are using, so I went with the powdered form found HERE.

The first batch that I made this morning was a triple batch (3 bars of ivory soap, 1 1/2 cups of Borax, 1 1/2 cups of baking soda). From start to finish, the entire time to make this was...are you ready?...forty-five minutes. I was impressed! {Hey! Sometimes I'm easy & it doesn't take much, okay?!?}

This is my bowl of Borax, soda, and grated soap on top. {NOTE: You can shave some time off if you have a fine grater blade for your food processor. It's just soap & washes right off - won't hurt ya! Me? I don't own a food processor and I'm a bit of a tightwad, so I just used an old-fashioned "knuckle buster" to grate mine.}
Grab a spoon and start mixing...Keep stirring. It kinda starts out but doesn't stay lumpy, it actually smooths out & reminded me of pancake mix...except for the smell...that reminded me of my great-gramma's Ivory Snow she used when I was a kid.Originally, I was going to use some glass canning jars for storing it in the cabinet above the washer, then thought better of it. My two oldest boys are at that age that they're learning what I call "life skills" and, well I'll be honest with ya, not only do they have ADHD (what I lovingly refer to as "etch-a-sketch syndrome") but they're klutzes ta-boot. I could just picture it in my head...them coming in on Saturday morning to do their laundry and ME coming in five minutes later to find laundry powder and broken glass all over the floor to clean up. Sure wasn't looking forward to THAT!

As I was digging through my craft cupboard for a wooden spoon to stir my chemistry experiment, I found these little beauties (below). Not sure of their "size" but I'm thinking around 48 ounces - they look larger than my quart jars in a side-by-side comparison. The antique labels came from a stash of vintage Melissa Frances stuff that I've had waiting for just such a project. Perfect! As you can see, my "mixture" made enough to fill one jar & start a second.
I tried it in two loads of towels today & it washes just as well (maybe better!) as the Purex Free & Clear liquid soap that I've used for the last 9 years. It only takes TWO TABLESPOONS per load, so this will last me quite a while, even with all the laundry I do for a family of five.

Now to finish filling up the second small canister & then the big guy in the back (that used to hold Biker Boy's protein powder mix). I've got him trained now...he ALWAYS asks me before tossing things into the recycle bin...the man KNOWS that if I can use it in a project to save me some money, I will! {truth: he absolutely HATES watching me stand on my head, diving through the garbage bins for things I can use!} *LOL*
Here are my bonus tips for the day: {1} for whitening/brightening/stain removal, I use hydrogen peroxide. I buy these big bottles (pic below) at Wal-Mart for 98¢ & it only takes 1/2 cup for a full load of towels, socks, & seat-covers. I use the sprayer for applying peroxide directly to a stain. It will NOT harm your colors OR delicate items. (Who needs OxiClean, Woolite, & Clorox 2? Not me!) {2} for the rinse cycle as a fabric softener...1/4 cup of good, old-fashioned white vinegar. I promise, your clothes will NOT come out smelling like a Caesar salad! *LOL*
Here's the cost comparison, so if you're asking "is it worth it?," you'll know the answer is "Um......YEAH!"

Purex Free & Clear liquid (64 loads) - $5.97 ea {Wal-Mart} (I average 4-6 bottles per MONTH)

3-bar package of Ivory soap - $1 {Dollar Tree}
4 lb box of Borax - $2.89 {Wal-Mart}
2 lb box of baking soda - $1 {Wal-Mart}

EDIT: Today, I made (3) triple batches of soap (filled both small containers & half of the larger one). Total cost for 3 packs of soap, 1 box of soda, & half a box of Borax ~~ $5.45 ~~ COST SAVINGS FOR THE YEAR ~~ over $200 ~~ you can't beat that!

Now to convince Biker Boy that the money I saved making my soap NEEDS to buy refills for my COPIC markers....