You know what's awesome?
Making a big batch of raspberry fluff and discovering that your kids do not like it with their fruit, forcing you and your husband to make the sacrifice of eating all three pints. That is truly awesome. I gaze at the three pale-pink jars in my refrigerator with great love and tenderness.
You know what's the opposite of awesome?
Missing a very small, but very important word on a new gallon of paint. That word is "alkyd". It is the opposite of latex, and the opposite of all things good and holy and true.
There are spiritual metaphors just begging to be drawn out of this one. After this afternoon's misadventure, I believe that God created oil-based paint to teach a lesson about the indelible stain of sin. Referring to Jesus as THE Mineral Spirit doesn't seem quite reverent, (and I don't know about you, but my sin requires a greater solvent than anything lurking on the basement shelf), but if you've worked with this stuff, you know how obstinately it refuses to wash away with soap and water. Or to be wiped away with anything less than an industrial-grade sandblaster.
What *was* the misadventure, you ask? It wasn't so much one major catastrophe as it was a series of unfortunate events. It started innocently enough...
1. I didn't initially realize that the bucket I'd opened was oil-based paint.
2. When I did figure it out, I couldn't find the mineral spirits that Joel so helpfully unpacked and organized forever ago.
3. Joel couldn't remember where he'd put it, either.
But that's ok, because I'd only dipped one brush, and not very far in. I've got another brush I can use with this other white paint...
4. Which also turned out to be oil-based. And textured. And I only discovered the non-latex thing when I tried to rinse it into the sink, which of course smeared white paint all over my hand. Short of decorating my daughter's forehead as the great white orc, I wasn't quite sure what to do with that.
So now I've got one hand forever sealed in white, and a textured patch of door that's going to require just enough sanding to be a pain. This is going well.
I'm nothing if not persistent, so I kept looking in the same four places until I found the mineral spirits hidden behind some drawers and tools on the basement landing. Then I tried to use it on the paintbrushes and decided after one and a half seconds that I'd be purchasing new brushes.
5. PAINT EVERYWHERE.
6. Mikayla woke up and joined me; an audience always makes these sort of things go better, especially when they narrate your behaviors and throw in the occasional, "But, why?" Then of course she had to go #2.
And no joke, in the midst of all this, Joel called to share his realization that our vacation is one week sooner than we've been planning for the last six months. Meaning we leave in five days. Huh. Do these things happen to anybody else?
Commence the Calendar Shuffle as we clear a completely different week on our schedules.
So the anticipation won't get to build quite as long, but we're thrilled to spend next week with Joel's family, doing lots of fun things with all the cousins together - a museum, an aquarium, and a few other things yet to be determined. I have been saying for awhile, "I can't wait!" ...and it turns out, I don't have to! Surprise!
I think you'll understand when I tell you how thankful I am that it's a crock pot dinner day. With the way things have been going, I doubt I should handle any sharp objects or turn on the stove.
Someday the playroom will get that second coat of paint. For now, I'm going to reflect on the unwashable mess of my sin and the cleansing power of Jesus' blood. What a valuable object lesson for the day, in view of my powerlessness to remove something as simple as paint, even with all the soaps and detergents in the world.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." [Isaiah 1:18]
Soli deo gloria!
One Step Closer to Homeschooling
If you don't believe me, then you must not know that Mikayla recently started a conversation with me by saying, "Hey Momma, how's pickin's?" That's a line from "Lady and the Tramp" that I'm pretty confident she has never heard in real life. A bit frightening, really, and a great reminder to mind my own tongue.
She also responds to 98% of my communication with, "But why?"
I'm thankful to have a slightly endearing version of the "Why? Why? Why?" stage going on. It's pretty adorable, and I don't know which episode of what show taught her that. It makes me feel like I'm raising a right proper little lady, which of course is by the hand of God because I used to tell my mom that "Well, I'm not a lady!" when she'd rebuke me for unladylike behavior.
And if you still aren't convinced of my daughter's need for structure, consider what happened today when she got up from her nap to use the potty. I heard the potty sounds, the water running, and then silence. I went up to check, and she had pooped in the potty, and her undies were nowhere be found. The conversation:
Me: Where are your undies?
M: In the diaper pail.
Me: (confused) Huh?
M: In the diaper pail!
Me: Oh, here they are! ....they're wet. (smells them) Mikayla, did you...RINSE your undies?
M: (matter-of-factly) Yes.
Me: Why? Did you get some on them?
M: Yes, I got a yittle poop in my undies!
Me: ......Well that's awesome! Thanks!
M: (still waiting patiently on the potty for me to clean her up)
She is clearly picking up everything I and the rest of her little world are laying down. And since she is resorting to imitating maternal poop-cleaning behaviors, I figure I ought to throw her a bone and teach her something age-appropriate and fun.
Thus began Project Pre-K.
You may have heard that I'm remaking the playroom into a magnificent beacon of homeschooling glory. You heard wrong, because so far I have merely slapped one coat of primer on the walls and loaded my Amazon cart with a few supplies.
 |
| Let's just say, we're not there yet. Shout out to our neighbor's shrub. |
BUT. The finished product (the vision, anyway) will have you elem. ed. majors geeking out. The maps. The lamination. Laminated maps. The laminated calendar, weather graph, and sticky tack. Bible verse flash cards, the works.
Don't get too concerned. This is all the work I intend to do for the entire year, short of stalking my sister's Pinterest boards for craft and "science" ideas to make me seem like an awesome mom every so often. But at least we can do some circle time every morning, talk about the weather, learn days of the week, and discover simple chore-charting (possibly more for me than for Mikayla. For some reason it is beyond me to brush teeth right after breakfast every day. It usually happens by nap time though, so it's all good.) And get to the library on a weekly basis...and yes, I need a laminated calendar in bright primary colors to remind me to do that, too.
With all this organizing and prepping going on, I thought I'd mention a sweet blog/website I've come across with lots of free homeschool resources. It's called www.homeschoolcreations.com. I've bookmarked a bunch of her free printable flashcards and whatnot because I am so excited about laminating things and then cutting them with my $5 yardsale paper cutter. But I digress.
She's also got this homeschool planner that has some pretty sweet reviews. Check it out, and if you purchase it using this link, it would theoretically help to defray the cost of my planner, should I hypothetically decide to buy one ever in the distant future, but don't worry honey I'm not spending more money, really.
So, check it out if you feel so inclined. Your $20 buys you a download for a planner that will last as many years as you want to use it. It's an editable PDF planner that you can print or just use electronically, so that you can keep on editing and saving lesson plans and have them ready to go from year to year. Also included are places for menu planning and chore charting so that everything is in one place. It's the planner that your old planner wants to be when it grows up. And if you buy it, you'll be able to avoid anything else school-related for at least another month because hey, you totally got started already on the organizing. That always makes me feel like I can procrastinate on the actual work.
How about you? Are you getting excited for fall, whether to begin a new school year or to finally feel like soup and hot tea are seasonal menu choices again? I can't wait for that first crisp day that calls for a light sweater and a crunchy walk over the leaves.
Dry Nights and a Delighted Father
Mikayla has now spent two out of the last three nights dry in her big-girl undies!
She also today did some long-awaited serious business in her potty, if you know what I mean.
I know that a two and a half year old going #2 in her potty and staying dry overnight don't sound like very lofty things, they do cause me to reflect on a spiritual parallel.
Stay with me.
Our God delights in the good obedience of His children. As we heard today in worship, His reward of our obedience is still a gift of grace. Our best works are yet stained with sin, and gain us no ground before a just and holy God. But if I, a fallen, imperfect momma, experience real joy when I see my daughter finally reach a simple, yet important, milestone...does our Lord, who loves us perfectly, somehow display the heavenly equivalent of clapping and jumping up and down in the blue bathroom when He helps me make a breakthrough in my sanctification?
I don't mean to sound flippant. What I mean is that I clapped and jumped out of sheer exuberance because I couldn't not celebrate with my daughter. The joy on her little face! So I have to think that God, our tender Father, perhaps when He sees me overcome a temptation that previously brought me low, experiences a genuine and overflowing joy to see my obedient response.
This is still within the bounds of grace, as my obedience only results from His Spirit at work in my life, and that after He drew me to Himself in Christ. Perhaps the analogy holds up, if the comparison is with my persistent teaching and discipline as I have encouraged Mikayla to obey me. So when she does obey, whether it is using the potty or finally staying in her bed, I could pat myself on the back for a parenting job well done. But I am usually far more focused on her role in obedience, that she has finally internalized and responded to our teaching.
So God of course realizes that we could not obey without His help, but perhaps His delight comes from seeing us take small, yet meaningful steps forward in our sanctification.
The Christian life takes a lot of work, but it is nice on a Lord's day to really reflect on the frank enjoyment that our Father takes in our progress. Obedience does not merit simply a checkmark on a holy list somewhere, but a tender smile and perhaps loving applause, while His heart dances as mine does over my daughter's accomplishments.
And lest you think I am all smart and meditative today, I accidentally typed "applesauce" instead of "applause". No getting away from the momma brain!
Glory to God though, for His wondrous love! If you are in Christ, then He delights in your obedience, however modest, precious child of God!
She also today did some long-awaited serious business in her potty, if you know what I mean.
I know that a two and a half year old going #2 in her potty and staying dry overnight don't sound like very lofty things, they do cause me to reflect on a spiritual parallel.
Stay with me.
Our God delights in the good obedience of His children. As we heard today in worship, His reward of our obedience is still a gift of grace. Our best works are yet stained with sin, and gain us no ground before a just and holy God. But if I, a fallen, imperfect momma, experience real joy when I see my daughter finally reach a simple, yet important, milestone...does our Lord, who loves us perfectly, somehow display the heavenly equivalent of clapping and jumping up and down in the blue bathroom when He helps me make a breakthrough in my sanctification?
I don't mean to sound flippant. What I mean is that I clapped and jumped out of sheer exuberance because I couldn't not celebrate with my daughter. The joy on her little face! So I have to think that God, our tender Father, perhaps when He sees me overcome a temptation that previously brought me low, experiences a genuine and overflowing joy to see my obedient response.
This is still within the bounds of grace, as my obedience only results from His Spirit at work in my life, and that after He drew me to Himself in Christ. Perhaps the analogy holds up, if the comparison is with my persistent teaching and discipline as I have encouraged Mikayla to obey me. So when she does obey, whether it is using the potty or finally staying in her bed, I could pat myself on the back for a parenting job well done. But I am usually far more focused on her role in obedience, that she has finally internalized and responded to our teaching.
So God of course realizes that we could not obey without His help, but perhaps His delight comes from seeing us take small, yet meaningful steps forward in our sanctification.
The Christian life takes a lot of work, but it is nice on a Lord's day to really reflect on the frank enjoyment that our Father takes in our progress. Obedience does not merit simply a checkmark on a holy list somewhere, but a tender smile and perhaps loving applause, while His heart dances as mine does over my daughter's accomplishments.
And lest you think I am all smart and meditative today, I accidentally typed "applesauce" instead of "applause". No getting away from the momma brain!
Glory to God though, for His wondrous love! If you are in Christ, then He delights in your obedience, however modest, precious child of God!
Her Mother's Daughter
You know your new chiropractor is serious business when he has a belt holster for his adjusting tool. Some people carry around their late 90's Verizon flip phone, but this dude can alleviate subluxations at a moment's notice.
This post isn't really about my chiropractor. I just have minimal filtration between my brain and my mouth (or in this case, keyboard) so if I think it, I type it.
Explains a lot, doesn't it?
So last night, Mikayla insisted that she didn't need to wear a pull up to bed. Well, what happened was, we put her to bed at 8:30 and she spent the next hour and a half getting up to use the potty, with about 50% success rate. At some point along the way, she insisted that her bone-dry diaper was, in fact, very wet and she refused to put it back on. This has happened before when she requested a new pull up.
(I may or may not routinely put the "wet" diaper back into the pack for future use, and/or turn around and tell her it is a new diaper. I've also spent some time meditating on the spirit vs. the letter of the law when it comes to lying. Is it wrong to harmlessly misrepresent the condition of a princess pull-up to your two-year-old?)
More to the point, that is NOT what happened last night. No, my big girl told me plainly that she did not need to wear a diaper. She would only wear pants. No diaper. Seriously, momma, I don't need a diaper tonight.
This from a girl who has had one accident-free day since we started potty training last week. (That said, she has admittedly stayed dry every naptime but one.)
There are many moments in a momma's life when you figure a load of laundry is a small price to pay to avoid wailing and gnashing of teeth. This was one of them. In a moment of desperation, I pulled her pajama shorts up, gave her a kiss, and sent up a silent prayer that she would at least sleep through wetting the bed so that I could deal with it in the morning. Joel later asked me, "Do you realize she will probably wake you up at 2:00 a.m. to change her sheets?" Yes, yes I do. But there are complicated psychological principles at work here known as "I can pretend the consequence isn't coming, as long as life is good now." It's this kind of thinking that allows people to engage in insider trading, sexual misconduct, and, apparently, giving your toddler a diaper pass if it means she'll stay in her bed for the next few hours. Avoidance and denial at their best. It's ok! Future me won't mind getting out of bed to clean up an accident!
Also in the back of my mind, I recalled my mother telling me this was how I nighttime potty trained. I bypassed the sticker chart and insisted I could stay dry. She let me go for it, and I never looked back. Mikayla has more than a little of my personality, so I kind of thought I'd give her a chance.
Wouldn't you know, she got up another time or two to use/pretend to use the potty. And she did wake up at 3:00 in the morning, but it was due to "bad sleep". She needed a hug and a prayer, rather than a full bed linen change. Praise the Lord!
But you guys, big girl was still dry this morning! Of course she hadn't asserted her independence quite enough by going bare-bottom, so she insisted on trekking downstairs and across the house to use a different potty, rather than using the one she couldn't stay away from at 9:30 last night. And then she pooped on the kitchen floor two minutes later.
Doesn't it take EXTRA effort not to poop when you are already sitting on the potty?
I'm not really counting it against her though. How can I, when she had her first all night potty success?? Yay, Mikayla!
And now you're probably more up to speed than you wanted to be. Thanks for checking in!
This post isn't really about my chiropractor. I just have minimal filtration between my brain and my mouth (or in this case, keyboard) so if I think it, I type it.
Explains a lot, doesn't it?
So last night, Mikayla insisted that she didn't need to wear a pull up to bed. Well, what happened was, we put her to bed at 8:30 and she spent the next hour and a half getting up to use the potty, with about 50% success rate. At some point along the way, she insisted that her bone-dry diaper was, in fact, very wet and she refused to put it back on. This has happened before when she requested a new pull up.
(I may or may not routinely put the "wet" diaper back into the pack for future use, and/or turn around and tell her it is a new diaper. I've also spent some time meditating on the spirit vs. the letter of the law when it comes to lying. Is it wrong to harmlessly misrepresent the condition of a princess pull-up to your two-year-old?)
More to the point, that is NOT what happened last night. No, my big girl told me plainly that she did not need to wear a diaper. She would only wear pants. No diaper. Seriously, momma, I don't need a diaper tonight.
This from a girl who has had one accident-free day since we started potty training last week. (That said, she has admittedly stayed dry every naptime but one.)
There are many moments in a momma's life when you figure a load of laundry is a small price to pay to avoid wailing and gnashing of teeth. This was one of them. In a moment of desperation, I pulled her pajama shorts up, gave her a kiss, and sent up a silent prayer that she would at least sleep through wetting the bed so that I could deal with it in the morning. Joel later asked me, "Do you realize she will probably wake you up at 2:00 a.m. to change her sheets?" Yes, yes I do. But there are complicated psychological principles at work here known as "I can pretend the consequence isn't coming, as long as life is good now." It's this kind of thinking that allows people to engage in insider trading, sexual misconduct, and, apparently, giving your toddler a diaper pass if it means she'll stay in her bed for the next few hours. Avoidance and denial at their best. It's ok! Future me won't mind getting out of bed to clean up an accident!
Also in the back of my mind, I recalled my mother telling me this was how I nighttime potty trained. I bypassed the sticker chart and insisted I could stay dry. She let me go for it, and I never looked back. Mikayla has more than a little of my personality, so I kind of thought I'd give her a chance.
Wouldn't you know, she got up another time or two to use/pretend to use the potty. And she did wake up at 3:00 in the morning, but it was due to "bad sleep". She needed a hug and a prayer, rather than a full bed linen change. Praise the Lord!
But you guys, big girl was still dry this morning! Of course she hadn't asserted her independence quite enough by going bare-bottom, so she insisted on trekking downstairs and across the house to use a different potty, rather than using the one she couldn't stay away from at 9:30 last night. And then she pooped on the kitchen floor two minutes later.
Doesn't it take EXTRA effort not to poop when you are already sitting on the potty?
I'm not really counting it against her though. How can I, when she had her first all night potty success?? Yay, Mikayla!
And now you're probably more up to speed than you wanted to be. Thanks for checking in!
Dessert For Your Legs
This is the body scrub I've been completely adoring for the past few weeks. It's 100% as luxe as the ones I've enjoyed from Bath and Body Works in the past. You can trust me on that one, I used to work there. Their products are nice, but this one is made of just three ingredients you already have in your kitchen and optional essential oil for fragrance.
Recipe:
2 parts exfoliant (sugar or salt) to 1 part oil
Honey to smooth to desired consistency, if needed
Essential oil for fragrance, if desired
This link served as my general recipe and helped me decide what kind of exfoliant and which oil to use. I opted for sugar instead of salt because it just seems dumb to involve salt within 5-10 minutes in either direction of taking a razor to your skin. I chose white sugar because I love a good coarse scrub. I went with grapeseed oil because I had purchased it for my face wash and knew my skin liked it already. Mine needed just the tiniest bit of honey stirred in at the end. And of course I added some of my sweet orange essential oil for refreshing fragrance.
This stuff? Feels like the best back scratch ever, all over your body. I scoop it out with my fingers and scrub it over my skin with a wash cloth. LOVE LOVE LOVE. My skin is SO smooth and dewy afterward. If you are going to shave after scrubbing, I would use a body wash between steps because this will leave your skin oily enough to gunk up the razor. If not, finish your shower and allow the oil to soak into your skin for maximum emollient effect. I don't need lotion after a sugar-scrub shower. And I honestly feel like my skin is glowing for the rest of the day. I have never raved about a body product like this before. You will love it!
Oh, and it took about one minute to mix up. I did it right in the jar, measured a cup of sugar and a half cup of grapeseed oil, a squirt of honey and a little essential oil, and shook up the jar to mix. I might have stirred a little first. It says to refrigerate this between uses and keep just 2-3 days' worth in the shower. I've had mine in the shower for a week and it hasn't gone funny at all. I'd say the amount I made lasts me for 4-5 showers, using it generously all over my body. And I'm honestly not sure whether I doubled the recipe or not...it seems like I sure have more than 1 cup of sugar in there, but I could be wrong.
If you don't try any other natural product, try this one! Compared with the cost of store-bought sugar scrubs, you can do it for super cheap and even tailor it to suit your skin type and scrub preference.
Bonus points if you spotted the white plastic lid underneath the jar in the photo. I told you I'd switch out the metal one!
Recipe:
2 parts exfoliant (sugar or salt) to 1 part oil
Honey to smooth to desired consistency, if needed
Essential oil for fragrance, if desired
This link served as my general recipe and helped me decide what kind of exfoliant and which oil to use. I opted for sugar instead of salt because it just seems dumb to involve salt within 5-10 minutes in either direction of taking a razor to your skin. I chose white sugar because I love a good coarse scrub. I went with grapeseed oil because I had purchased it for my face wash and knew my skin liked it already. Mine needed just the tiniest bit of honey stirred in at the end. And of course I added some of my sweet orange essential oil for refreshing fragrance.
This stuff? Feels like the best back scratch ever, all over your body. I scoop it out with my fingers and scrub it over my skin with a wash cloth. LOVE LOVE LOVE. My skin is SO smooth and dewy afterward. If you are going to shave after scrubbing, I would use a body wash between steps because this will leave your skin oily enough to gunk up the razor. If not, finish your shower and allow the oil to soak into your skin for maximum emollient effect. I don't need lotion after a sugar-scrub shower. And I honestly feel like my skin is glowing for the rest of the day. I have never raved about a body product like this before. You will love it!
Oh, and it took about one minute to mix up. I did it right in the jar, measured a cup of sugar and a half cup of grapeseed oil, a squirt of honey and a little essential oil, and shook up the jar to mix. I might have stirred a little first. It says to refrigerate this between uses and keep just 2-3 days' worth in the shower. I've had mine in the shower for a week and it hasn't gone funny at all. I'd say the amount I made lasts me for 4-5 showers, using it generously all over my body. And I'm honestly not sure whether I doubled the recipe or not...it seems like I sure have more than 1 cup of sugar in there, but I could be wrong.
If you don't try any other natural product, try this one! Compared with the cost of store-bought sugar scrubs, you can do it for super cheap and even tailor it to suit your skin type and scrub preference.
Bonus points if you spotted the white plastic lid underneath the jar in the photo. I told you I'd switch out the metal one!
My Face Loves Chamomile Tea and a Heaping Dose of Grapeseed Oil
I've been trialling a new home-mixed face wash for the past few weeks and thought I'd share. I mixed it up using some Dr. Bronner's castille soap, grapeseed oil from the grocery store, and some strong-brewed chamomile tea. It feels very smooth and only slightly soapy. I was initially concerned that my face wouldn't get clean smearing actual oil on it every day.
But?
It turns out different kinds of oils have different effects on the skin. Just like you can get face products for different skin types. So grapeseed oil seems to actually dry my skin just slightly - not too much, but I usually look forward to moisturizing afterward. The chamomile is very soothing and the castille soap is super mild. I added a few drops of orange essential oil for fragrance, and I love it! I'm such a fruity, especially citrusy, body product girl. I used to adore Bath and Body Works mandarin whatever that fragrance was, until I realized the body wash left my skin itchy.
Probably the number one reason for going all natural in my beauty products: sensitive skin. I never thought of my skin as overly sensitive, but I couldn't deny that it didn't feel good after a shower using my favorite store-bought products. I had better success with store-bought super-moisturizing varieties like those containing oatmeal or aloe. But still felt my skin wasn't super clean.
If you're interested in trying your own face wash, here's the recipe:
http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-natural-facial-cleanser/
(Visit the link for notes on which oils to try based on your skin type.)
Basic recipe:
Brew a cup of strong chamomile tea and allow to cool.
Mix:
1/4 cup of your cooled chamomile tea
1/4 cup castille soap
3/4 teaspoon oil (I used grapeseed, see link for other ideas)
8 drops essential oil (probably optional; I used sweet orange because I had it on hand)
This took all of a minute to mix up, and it seems like it will last me forever. A little goes a LONG way. I measured my ingredients into a bowl, whisked, and poured into a little half-pint jar. I'm still waiting for someone to give me an old soap pump but until then, I dip a little out with my fingers. I do shake it up before using because the ingredients separate a bit. Ah, the inconveniences of banishing preserving and stabilizing chemicals from my beauty regimen! But I do get to enjoy the simple beauty of glass jars lining my counter and shower. (I would probably use something plastic if I were sharing the shower with the kiddos, but I trust myself not to drop them. So far.)
Also, reviewing the recipe, I am pretty sure I added way too much oil to mine. I may or may not have added 3/4 cup instead of 3/4 teaspoon. (Not an isolated incident when cooking and creating with toddlers. Sometimes they switch my measuring cups on purpose, or better yet, hide them. Also I get very distracted making sure nobody falls off of a kitchen chair or opens the knife drawer.)
Well I guess that would explain why it made enough to last me six months. And yet it still cleans my face. In fact it leaves my skin nice and dewy. I've also been using a body scrub (also pictured above) made with grapeseed oil, white sugar, and a dab of honey, and LOVE how glowy my whole body has been. So apparently my skin just adores the grapeseed oil!
Nothing like sharing your beauty secrets on the internets and realizing you've been doing it wrong.
And yes, I have a metal lid on my body scrub. In my shower. I like to flirt with danger, or at least the possibility that my body products could rust shut. Sigh...I guess I'll go replace that with a plastic one, now that you're all making me feel super guilty about it.
Have you tried anything like this? Any tips or variations you'd recommend, other than actually following the recipe?
But?
It turns out different kinds of oils have different effects on the skin. Just like you can get face products for different skin types. So grapeseed oil seems to actually dry my skin just slightly - not too much, but I usually look forward to moisturizing afterward. The chamomile is very soothing and the castille soap is super mild. I added a few drops of orange essential oil for fragrance, and I love it! I'm such a fruity, especially citrusy, body product girl. I used to adore Bath and Body Works mandarin whatever that fragrance was, until I realized the body wash left my skin itchy.
Probably the number one reason for going all natural in my beauty products: sensitive skin. I never thought of my skin as overly sensitive, but I couldn't deny that it didn't feel good after a shower using my favorite store-bought products. I had better success with store-bought super-moisturizing varieties like those containing oatmeal or aloe. But still felt my skin wasn't super clean.
If you're interested in trying your own face wash, here's the recipe:
http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-natural-facial-cleanser/
(Visit the link for notes on which oils to try based on your skin type.)
Basic recipe:
Brew a cup of strong chamomile tea and allow to cool.
Mix:
1/4 cup of your cooled chamomile tea
1/4 cup castille soap
3/4 teaspoon oil (I used grapeseed, see link for other ideas)
8 drops essential oil (probably optional; I used sweet orange because I had it on hand)
This took all of a minute to mix up, and it seems like it will last me forever. A little goes a LONG way. I measured my ingredients into a bowl, whisked, and poured into a little half-pint jar. I'm still waiting for someone to give me an old soap pump but until then, I dip a little out with my fingers. I do shake it up before using because the ingredients separate a bit. Ah, the inconveniences of banishing preserving and stabilizing chemicals from my beauty regimen! But I do get to enjoy the simple beauty of glass jars lining my counter and shower. (I would probably use something plastic if I were sharing the shower with the kiddos, but I trust myself not to drop them. So far.)
Also, reviewing the recipe, I am pretty sure I added way too much oil to mine. I may or may not have added 3/4 cup instead of 3/4 teaspoon. (Not an isolated incident when cooking and creating with toddlers. Sometimes they switch my measuring cups on purpose, or better yet, hide them. Also I get very distracted making sure nobody falls off of a kitchen chair or opens the knife drawer.)
Well I guess that would explain why it made enough to last me six months. And yet it still cleans my face. In fact it leaves my skin nice and dewy. I've also been using a body scrub (also pictured above) made with grapeseed oil, white sugar, and a dab of honey, and LOVE how glowy my whole body has been. So apparently my skin just adores the grapeseed oil!
Nothing like sharing your beauty secrets on the internets and realizing you've been doing it wrong.
And yes, I have a metal lid on my body scrub. In my shower. I like to flirt with danger, or at least the possibility that my body products could rust shut. Sigh...I guess I'll go replace that with a plastic one, now that you're all making me feel super guilty about it.
Have you tried anything like this? Any tips or variations you'd recommend, other than actually following the recipe?
Goodbye, Sweet Baby Locks!
This is the story of how our baby boy received his first hair cut before his older sister required so much as a bang trim.
We had never run into this issue at our house before, seeing as how our sweet daughter still doesn't have enough hair for a proper ponytail, let alone need a hair cut. But Isaac has regularly been sweating through his thick mop of hair. You might not know it from the front, but this kid can grow a mullet like nobody's business. His poor neck was getting heat rash from all the unwanted insulation!
Something had to be done.
And that "something" involved a kitchen chair, booster seat, backwards bib, and dadda's hair clippers. We are very serious about giving our children the professional-grade salon experience.
A few before photos, in which Isaac's shorts appear to be mistaking him for an 80 year old man and are doing the slow climb.
Do you SEE the flowing mane gracing the rear of his head? And Isaac's hair is getting long, too. Not to mention his ridiculous two-inch cowlick that I never noticed til reviewing these photos. You'd think I would have noticed a giant lock of hair pointing across the room, but no.
I know, that's a lot of "before" photos, but some of them were too cute to exclude.
Isaac enjoyed, or at least seemed unfazed by, his salon treatment. He hardly blinked an eye the entire time. Dadda entertained him with some photos on his phone, and big sister cheered him on, but he pretty much sat like this the entire time:
Maybe he was as thrilled as we were to be rid of the baby mullet?
Can you believe the amount of hair in these clippers? I was stunned at how long his mullet had grown. I mean, I could tell there was a party in the back, but this was a serious hair carnival.
And my precious baby boy looking suddenly grown up:
Seeing the "after" photos (and all the hair in the trash can!), I am realizing how deceptively long his hair was. Doesn't he look so dapper and clean-cut now? If the young ladies at church loved him before, they will be absolutely gaga now. I think his big blue eyes really pop now that his hair is more understated. Also, hopefully this lets his neck breathe a little better and cuts down on the head-sweat when we are out enjoying summer.
Ugh, I just LOVE my little guy! His new look will take some getting used to. I can't wait to see how long it takes me tomorrow morning while, half-awake, I try to figure out who the handsome young man in the crib is.
We had never run into this issue at our house before, seeing as how our sweet daughter still doesn't have enough hair for a proper ponytail, let alone need a hair cut. But Isaac has regularly been sweating through his thick mop of hair. You might not know it from the front, but this kid can grow a mullet like nobody's business. His poor neck was getting heat rash from all the unwanted insulation!
Something had to be done.
And that "something" involved a kitchen chair, booster seat, backwards bib, and dadda's hair clippers. We are very serious about giving our children the professional-grade salon experience.
A few before photos, in which Isaac's shorts appear to be mistaking him for an 80 year old man and are doing the slow climb.
Do you SEE the flowing mane gracing the rear of his head? And Isaac's hair is getting long, too. Not to mention his ridiculous two-inch cowlick that I never noticed til reviewing these photos. You'd think I would have noticed a giant lock of hair pointing across the room, but no.
I know, that's a lot of "before" photos, but some of them were too cute to exclude.
Isaac enjoyed, or at least seemed unfazed by, his salon treatment. He hardly blinked an eye the entire time. Dadda entertained him with some photos on his phone, and big sister cheered him on, but he pretty much sat like this the entire time:
Can you believe the amount of hair in these clippers? I was stunned at how long his mullet had grown. I mean, I could tell there was a party in the back, but this was a serious hair carnival.
And my precious baby boy looking suddenly grown up:
(No you cannot have him, HE'S MINE!!)
Seeing the "after" photos (and all the hair in the trash can!), I am realizing how deceptively long his hair was. Doesn't he look so dapper and clean-cut now? If the young ladies at church loved him before, they will be absolutely gaga now. I think his big blue eyes really pop now that his hair is more understated. Also, hopefully this lets his neck breathe a little better and cuts down on the head-sweat when we are out enjoying summer.
Ugh, I just LOVE my little guy! His new look will take some getting used to. I can't wait to see how long it takes me tomorrow morning while, half-awake, I try to figure out who the handsome young man in the crib is.
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