A Birthday Surprise

Last week, my girlfriend Lady Day and I met with our other dear friend, Julianne of Providence Lodge to celebrate Julianne's birthday.  We met in a little restaurant for tea and spent the better part of the afternoon talking and talking and talking.

Lady Day, Julianne and I have been friends for many years.  Our children have grown up together.  We have celebrated with each other, cried with each other and occasionally been irritated with each other.  Our collective children, when they were younger, were affectionately known as "The Locust" because they would eat us out of house and home whenever we spent the day together.  While our husbands would talk over the problems of the world, we ladies would encourage one another.  We would share our hearts, snuggle our children and drink cup after cup of tea.

As our children have grown older, our get togethers have become depressingly infrequent.  We still make time for birthday celebrations and an occasional afternoon visit, however we rarely have an opportunity to get all of the families together.  The children have grown, many of them have married and begun their own families.  The ones left at home are busy, all going their separate ways.  Now, rather than tending small children, wiping noses and cuddling babies, we are talking about weddings and grand babies and our changing roles in life.

Oh, what joy there is in an afternoon of sweet fellowship with these wonderful, dear friends!  After catching up on all of our latest news, Lady Day and I presented Julianne with our small tokens of affection.  Lady Day's gift to our dear friend was perfect - a handmade "Naturally Concealed" holster.  Once Julianne chooses her concealed carry pistol, she will give measurements to Lady Day, who will then custom-make a holster so that she can conceal carry with ease.  If there is a more thoughtful gift to be had, I certainly can't think of it!

My gift was far less grand, but no less heartfelt.  Julianne's husband was diagnosed with cancer about a year and a half ago, and since then, Julianne has done her best to bring nothing but healthful things into their home.  She has cut out all processed foods and sugars and has even gone so far as to discontinue alcohol filled cleansers, lotions and bath products.  Knowing that natural bath products are expensive and hard to come by, I made a basket full of items crafted in my own kitchen, with ingredients I could pronounce.

I made some tried and true recipes and a few new ones, with great results.  Knowing that Lavender was one of Julianne's favorite scents, I made most of her bath products with a liberal amount of Lavender essential oil.  First up was Lavender Whipped Body Butter.  I used the same recipe as the Peppermint Whipped Body Butter, using Lavender essential oil instead of Peppermint.  Next up was my favorite Lavender Body Lotion.  I love the way it glides on, leaving skin so smooth and soft.  Not wanting to stop there, I tried a new recipe, Peppermint Citrus Sugar Scrub.  Sublime!  And last, but not least, I made a Spa Lavender Detox Soak, a soothing combination of Epsom Salts and baking soda, scented with a healthy dose of Lavender (perfect for night-time soak).

After I mixed and stirred and poured into containers, I loaded everything into a basket, added a couple of candles and presented it to my dear friend - bath products fit for healthy living.

The afternoon spent with my wonderful friends reminded me how precious and rare our friendship is - and inspired me to make more of an effort to nourish and maintain this lovely gift.  All of the busyness in the world is no substitute for the most treasured gift - the gift of "bosom friends".

If you would like to make a gift of healthy bath indulgences, you can find two of the recipes below and follow the links to the other two.  Enjoy creating a beautiful life!

Peppermint Citrus Sugar Scrub

1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C oil (olive oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil)
2 - 4 T ground orange peel (optional - makes a great exfoliant)
2 T glycerin (optional)
10 drop peppermint essential oil (more or less)
10 - 15 drops sweet orange essential oil (or other citrus oil of your choice)

Mix sugar, oil, orange peel and glycerin together.  Gradually add the essential oil, mixing well.  Store your scrub in a glass container.  (I put mine in a metal powder container lined with plastic wrap).  TO USE:  Rub a small amount on wet hands, scrub body, rinse with warm water.

Crushing the orange peel using a mortar and pestle

Mixing all of the luscious ingredients

Spa Lavender Detox Soak

1 C Epsom Salts
1 C Baking Soda
Lavender Essential Oil

Mix the Epsom salts and baking soda well.  Add essential oil to achieve the desired scent.  You can use any essential oil you'd like, however, the Lavender is very relaxing.  Pour a splash into the hottest tub you can stand and take a leisurely soak.

In a plastic wrap lined antique powder tin

Rather charming, I thought

Home Grown Hygiene

I love being industrious.  When my children were little I learned how to make bread, grow a garden and can just about everything.  I bought a cow and taught myself how to make butter, cheese and every other dairy product I could think of.  Then I took up soap making, followed by lotion bars, candles and lip balm.  I love knowing how to make everyday necessities just in case there comes a time when they are no longer commercially available.  And to tell the truth, I generally like the homemade versions of things much better than the store-bought versions anyway.

One of the products that I had considered off and on but never attempted to make was deodorant.  All of my experience (which was limited) with "natural" or "home-made" deodorant consisted of baking soda and cornstarch (puffed under the arms) or that crystal thing that was popular for awhile.  Needless to say, I was not impressed.

Recently I was reading an article about beauty and hygiene products and was shocked to find that a number of ingredients in most mass produced products were actually poisonous!  Apparently, because the toxins are in such small quantities, they pass the FDA inspection process with no problems.   Not really wanting to introduce toxic chemicals through my sweat glands, but also not wanting people to be able to smell me before they saw me, I started to research making my own deodorant.

After looking at a number of recipes, I decided to try one that created a solid deodorant. That was what I was used to and was comfortable with.  I also wanted a recipe that contained ingredients that I had in the cupboard from my other health and beauty endeavors.  In the end, I found a recipe that looked good, tweaked it to suit our family and gave it a whirl.  I have to say, I am immensely pleased with the results.

The first thing I did was carefully wash out two used deodorant tubes.  I could have bought new tubes, but until I perfected a recipe, I didn't want to incur any unnecessary expenses.  One of the tubes I washed had a bottom that wasn't solid, so I cut a piece of waxed paper and fitted it over the bottom frame so that the deodorant wouldn't just run through.  Then I gathered all of my ingredients and went to work.

Waxed paper fitted over the frame

A solid bottom tube

Bottoms screwed all of the way down and ready for the deodorant

Here is the recipe that I used, along with my adjustments....

Solid Deodorant
4 heaping T grated beeswax (or pellets)
2 T Shea butter
10 T Cocoa butter
1/4 C cornstarch (or arrowroot powder if you have sensitive skin)
1/4 C baking soda (aluminum free)
10 drops tea tree oil (optional - it is an anti-fungal)
5 drops vitamin E oil (optional)
15 - 20 drops essential oil (for fragrance)
2 - 3 new or used deodorant tubes (rolled all the way down)

1. Melt beeswax 
2. Add Shea butter and Cocoa butter and heat just until melted.  Stir occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and add cornstarch and baking soda.  Stir until the lumps are gone and the texture is smooth.
4. Add vitamin E oil and essential oils and stir until well mixed.
5. Pour into deodorant tubes and let sit a few hours before putting on the tops (you can cool in the refrigerator).  You will want to fill them to almost overflowing (the deodorant will settle).

NOTES

• Don't over-apply.  2 to 4 swipes is ideal.
• Only twist up as much as you need.  It will be slightly softer than store-bought deodorant and may fall off if you twist up too much.
• You will need to give the deodorant a good 2 - 3 weeks use before deciding if it works for you.
• This deodorant will stay solid at room temperature.  If you live in a very warm climate, you may want to refrigerate it to harden it up a bit.
• This is deodorant - it will not keep you from sweating, but it will keep you from stinking!

Grating the beeswax

Everything measured and ready to go

Grated beeswax

Measuring the wax into the saucepan

Melting the wax (on the wood cookstove)

Melting the Shea and Cocoa butters with the beeswax

All melted

Stirring in the cornstarch and baking soda

Adding the oils (I'm not sure why it looks so yellow - it is ivory)

Pouring into the cleaned tubes

Filling to the top

This recipe makes enough for 3 large deodorant tubes.  I only had two, so I improvised.  Sir Knight had the idea of pouring the excess into a toilet paper tube.  We "greased" the inside of a toilet paper tube with shea butter and set the tube on a piece of waxed paper.  After the deodorant solidified, we cut the toilet paper roll down to the top of the deodorant and placed another piece of waxed paper over the top to act as a cover.  To use this tube, we just tear a small portion of the paper tube off the top of the roll and use the deodorant until we need to tear another bit off the top.  It works like a charm!

Pouring into the makeshift tube

A custom "tube" of deodorant

I have large quantities of beeswax, so I just take out a chunk and grate it with a cheese grater, however, you can buy beeswax in pellet form if you are so inclined.  The Shea butter and the Cocoa butter I buy from the same company I buy my tallow and lye for soap making, Essentials Depot.  They also carry essential oils if you don't have those on hand.

Because this deodorant is "custom", you can make a special batch for each member of your family.  I like pretty, "girly" scents like jasmine and sandalwood, but the boys prefer manly scents, such as Fir Needle Balsam and Cedar Wood.  Miss Serenity likes hers to be scent free, so we don't add any essential oils, leaving just a hint of the shea butter and cocoa butter.  

There is something comforting about having supplies on hand for all of our "Home Grown" hygiene needs.  Not only do we get to luxuriate with custom cosmetics, we also save money.  And an added bonus?  We can pronounce every ingredient on the back of the bottle!

Late Night Lip Balm

Last night I was desperate.  Our whole family has a bit of a head cold and between that and the cold weather, my lips were falling apart.  I was freshly out of Burt's Bees lip balm and really didn't want to have to resort to Bag Balm (really - have you ever tasted it?!).  After considering my options, I finally decided that I could spare 10 minutes of my life to make some homemade lip balm.

One of the things I haven't liked about the lip balm recipes I have used in the past is the number of ingredients they require.  I like simple.  And easy.  Generally, lip balms call for exotic things like coconut oil, glycerin, jojoba and cocoa butter (not that all of these are exotic, but most of us don't have them sitting around in our kitchen cupboards).  So, I got to thinking and searching on the internet (what a wonderful tool!) and came up with a balm recipe that meets my "simple" and "easy" criteria and is wonderful to boot.

You really don't need anything special to put lip balm in, although tubes or little pots are handy.  I actually made more lip balm than I had tubes for and put the overflow into 35mm film containers.  Whatever you have on hand will work.

The only ingredient in the balm that you may not have on hand is beeswax, but it is fairly easy to come by and will last forever.  The amounts of wax you use are very small in comparison with the rest of the ingredients, so a little will go a long way.  I bought 4 twenty pound bricks of beeswax about 8 years ago and have used it in everything from lotion bars to lip balm to candles and have only used about 1/4 of 1 brick.

The lip balm takes about 10 minutes to make, including measuring and heating and another 20 minutes or so (depending on what containers you use) to harden.  I do have to admit that I love using it when it is warm and not fully hardened yet - oh, so wonderful!

Most Wonderful Lip Balm
1/2 oz. beeswax
1 tsp. honey
4 oz. olive oil (1/2 cup)
Peppermint oil or peppermint extract to taste

In a small saucepan (or double boiler) melt wax.  Add honey and oil.  Stir for two minutes.  NOTE:  The honey will not really combine, but it is great for your lips and doesn't adversely affect the lip balm.  Add peppermint (or other flavor).  Stir well.  Pour.

Melting the beeswax

Measuring the oil

Pouring into the tubes

The overflow went into film canisters

When I made my balm, I used 1 oz. of beeswax rather than 1/2 oz. because I like a more solid lip balm.  I also added a little Vitamin E oil when I added the peppermint.  My lip balm turned out beautifully and feels wonderful.  Because I added extra beeswax, it stays in place for quite a long time and hopefully won't be prone to melting when carried in a pocket.

For mere pennies, you can make lip balm in your own kitchen.  Not only is it a great winter evening project, it will bring you one step closer to preparedness.

Candle Experiments

We preppers are always on the lookout for things we can do for ourselves.  We milk cows, grow gardens, make cheese, split wood, go off-grid, grind grain and make anything we can think of.

Many years ago, I tried my hand at candlemaking.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the anti-crafter.  I don't have the patience to make Readers Digest Christmas Angles or Styrofoam wreaths, but I love making useful things.  I love the feeling of accomplishment when I can or make cheese or make soap.

My first candle experience was wonderful, but I had less than desirable results.  I made hand-dipped beeswax and tallow candles, but they were too soft and dripped terribly.  I have been able to make 100% beeswax candles that are wonderful, but beeswax is very expensive and I really wanted to be able to give candles away for Christmas.

My beautiful 12 place, antique taper mold!

I am on a mission!  I am going to try various beeswax, tallow and alum combinations until I come up with the perfect candle.

My first attempt was 1oz. beeswax to 2ozs. tallow to .5oz. alum (bought in the spice aisle of your grocery store - it is a hardening agent).  I first combined the alum with enough hot water to dissolve the crystals.  Then I combined the beeswax, tallow and alum in a microwave safe bowl, melted the ingredients and poured them into my taper mold.

Weighing the tallow

So far, the candle is burning well, very little dripping and a very good flame.  It really is not fair to test a candle right after making it, as they will harden with time, but I thought I would put it to the acid test.  I'll keep you posted on this recipe and let you know if this is the one!

Pouring wax into the mold

Holding the wick in place

Pinecone Firestarters

Every fall I ask the kids to go to a little valley on our property affectionately known as "Pinecone Valley".  We have lots of Ponderosa Pine trees and that particular valley is full to overflowing with pinecones.

When the weather gets that tell-tale nip in the air we collect all of the pinecones we can find and dip them in paraffin wax that has been scented with Fir Needle Balsam (I know, not pine, but it's what we have!).  They smell SO good and make phenomenal fire starters.  We love to give them out as hostess gifts, even if the recipient doesn't have a fireplace or wood stove, because they look beautiful in a basket and make the whole room smell wonderful.

Yesterday, we got out the wax pot, the fir needle balsam and the pinecones and started dipping.  Neighbor girl happened to be here, so Miss Calamity, Princess Dragon Snack and dear Neighbor Girl did all of the work (which they happened to think was quite fun).  I don't think I have ever had pinecones so full of wax before, but, let me tell you, they sure will start a fire!

Paraffin is available in grocery stores in the canning department

You can melt it to make candles or seal jams or make pinecone firestarters!

I like to add essential oil because they smell heavenly

Neighbor Girl, Princess Dragon Snack and Miss Calamity

Everybody dipping at once!

It is smelling like fall!

Making Soap!

Making soap!

Yeah!  UPS showed up at our house today, with a wonderful surprise ( not really, I ordered it, but still...) - tallow, lye and coconut oil!  Now, to get all of my soap molds, soap cutters, spoons, jars, essential oils and everything else required to make soap, out of their storage places and get busy.  Are you ready Patrice?!?

Let the fun begin!

Lotion Bars

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Lotion Bars

We made lotion bars this weekend. I have to admit, I am not the least bit "crafty". In fact, I hate making crafts! I do, however, love to make useful, beautiful things. I love making soap, candles, lotion, cheese, bread - that sort of thing. It is useful. It is at least slightly longer lasting than a clean house or clean laundry. While I love a clean house and clean laundry, there is something very satisfying about "creating" something!

Lotion bars are best used after you wash your hands or when you first get out of the shower or bath. They are somewhat greasy until it is thoroughly rubbed in. It feels WONDERFUL on work roughened hands! I add a little essential oil, usually Lavender or Tea Tree for the ladies and Fir Needle Balsam for the guys, but you can use whatever you want, or leave it plain, and it smells slightly of beeswax and cocoa. Yum!

Lotion bars are quite simple to make, and make wonderful gifts. For those of you that are interested, here is the recipe that I use:



4 oz. Beeswax
4 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Coco butter
1 tsp. essential oil (optional)


Melt the first 3 ingredients in double boiler or over low heat in sauce pan, just until melted.

Remove from heat and stir constantly with wooden spoon. When starting to cool but still liquid, add the essential oil, stir and pour quickly into molds.

When solid and cooled, remove from molds. Package in baggies until ready for use.

That's it!


Measuring ingredients:


Melting the beeswax, oil and butter:

Filling the molds:

The finished product:

You can use any number of different things for molds. An empty, cut down yogurt container works well (you will have to have about 6 - 8, depending on how large you want your bars). Jello molds from thrift stores also work well. Use your imagination!

I love the feeling of having made something beautiful and useful. I enjoying giving gifts of things that we make ourselves. It is so much fun to engage our children in the making and giving of homesteady gifts. And someday, if we can't get lotion, we will be able to make our own!

Note: Some of these ingredients have been stored in our "container" for the last 10 years. The shelf life appears almost indefinite. I think it might be a good idea to stock up on some of these ingredients (what you can't grow yourself, ie. coconut oil and coco butter), so you can whip up a batch whenever you might need it!