DIY Organic Body Butter

April 8, 2013 By 2 Comments
DIY Body Butter

DIY Body Butter

 

 

I have just run out of body butter. This annoys me to no end and lately I have been annoyed at the prices of good quality body butters as well. I like my skin to be smoothed and moisturized just like everyone else but I don’t appreciate paying an arm and a leg for good ingredients. I am not sure why it didn’t occur to me to make my own as I have made plenty of other beauty products. I have almost all of these items at home with the exception of the raw shea butter. I have looked at a bunch of recipes for body butter so below is a compilation of a few I liked best. If you make your own you can customize the scents and as you get better at it you can add other ingredients specific to your skin type. A little goes a long way with making your own so even if the ingredients may be a little costly you can make much more than what you would purchase at a store.

Ingredients:
1 cup Organic Raw Shea Butter
½ cup Organic coconut oil
½ cup Organic almond oil
Several drops essential oils like these Organic Pure Essential Oils Set (a few drops goes a long way so be careful) *Not all essential oils are skin friendly or child friendly. Please do your research before adding.
Glass or plastic jar or canister to put the butter in.

Instructions:
1. Melt shea butter and coconut oil in the top of a double boiler.
2. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in almond oil and essential oils of your choosing.
4. Place oil mixture in freezer or outside to chill for 20 minutes.
5. Whip until the mixture has a buttery looking consistency.
6. Put in canister or jar.

Tips:
You can use what ever oils you prefer if you have allergies or preferences, just make sure you keep the ratio recipe ratio is 75% solid to 25% liquid.
The chilling step is the most important. If you don’t let the mixture cool properly, your butter won’t whip correctly or stay whipped. About 20 minutes in the freezer for this recipe works best. Make sure you scrape down the sides before mixing.

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Great Easter Greeting Card

March 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Thumpers Easter Greeting Card

Thumpers Easter Greeting Card

 

 

I have been seeing this craft around everywhere and really like it. I think this is a super fun project that makes really creative ideas. Easter has a ton of pretty colors to make fun swirls out of. If you have any kind of paper that you have been wanting to use and didn’t know what to do with it now here is your chance. I found this great Easter project from one of my favorite websites FamilyFun.com

 

 

 

Supplies:

Note card or cardstock folded into a card
Construction paper or other lightweight colored paper
Scissors
Craft scissors (optional)
White glue or glue stick
Paintbrush with a thin handle or wooden kitchen skewer
Toothpick
Colored pencil
Buttons (for added decor if you like)
Glitter (because why not)
Ribbons (if you feel your card could use them)

Directions:

1. First, create a simple landscape scene on the note card by cutting grassy hills and/or patches of garden soil from the colored paper and gluing them in place. Or, have your child draw or color a scene.

2. Now you’re ready to start quilling. To create the rabbit, begin by cutting strips from the colored paper that measure 1/4-inch wide and about 12 inches long. You’ll need 5 gray or brown ones, 3 white or tan ones, and 2 pink ones.

3. Glue the ends of 2 gray or brown strips together to form a single extra long strip. (Note: A toothpick comes in handy for applying the glue.) Wrap that strip around the paintbrush handle or skewer.

4. Slide the finished coil off the handle or skewer and let it expand into a circle that’s about 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Apply a drop of glue to the end of the strip and stick it in place. Gently pinch the top of the circle to form a raindrop shape. This will serve as the rabbit’s body.

5. Next, use a 12-inch strip to make a 3/4-inch circle and use it to create a teardrop shape for the rabbit’s head. Tear an 8-inch length from another strip and make a smaller teardrop for the rabbit’s foreleg. Set the remaining gray or brown strips aside for now.

6. For each of the rabbit’s ears, coil one of the pink strips into a circle and then pinch both the top and bottom. If you like, wrap a piece from the remaining gray or brown strips around each ear and use a couple spots of glue to secure it.

7. Use 2 of the white or tan strips to create the rabbit’s large hind feet in the same manner you did the ears.

8. Finally, use an 8-inch length from the remaining white or tan strip to coil a small tight circle for the tail.

9. For carrots, coil strips of orange paper (6 to 8 inches long). Pinch the bottom of the circle and then pinch the upper circle in two places. For carrot tops, simply fold short strips of green paper in half to form a V shape. Apply a bit of glue near the fold to hold the shape and then loosely coil the ends of the strip.

10. For the finishing touches, add a big round sun to the upper corner of the card. Then draw motion lines under one of the rabbit’s feet so that he appears to be “thumping,” and have your child print his or her holiday greeting inside.

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Make Your Own Blarney Stone

February 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
DIY Blarney Stone

DIY Blarney Stone

 

 

For those of you that have never heard of the Blarney Stone or the legend here is what Wikipedia says about it: The Blarney Stone (Irish: Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the stone and tour the castle and its gardens.
The word blarney has come to mean “clever, flattering, or coaxing talk”. John O’Connor Power’s definition is succinct: ‘Blarney is something more than mere flattery. It is flattery sweetened by humour and flavoured by wit. Those who mix with Irish folk have many examples of it in their everyday experience.’

I like this idea and think it is quite cute for little kids to do and possibly fun for them to learn. This is a super cute idea for littler kids to do as well as perfect for parties and school projects. All you need is whatever you have lying around the house to decorate the stone with ie. paint, glitter, buttons, feathers and anything else you think would be fun to use. Choose a stone from your yard or somewhere else that you can find them and go decorating crazy.
Once you have finished decorating you can put them around your yard and make a game of finding them or just use them for decoration. The perk to this project is you can leave the stone in your yard!

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Snow Day Snow-made Ice Cream

February 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

By now I am sure we all have cabin fever from being snowed in for so long. How much digging can one do? Are you saying to yourself “if I see one more snowperson or fort of any kind I am going to lose it!!”? I was totally at that point today. So I turned to my trusty friend the internet. I found this idea from one of my friends who posted a photo of their very own snow-made snow ice cream on Instagram. What a great idea, right?!?! With all of this snow we might as well make good use out of it! The recipe is super simple and super quick to make.

Ingredients:
1 gallon fresh snow
1 cup organic white sugar (or substitute if you prefer)
2 cups organic milk (any fat content you like)
1 table spoon vanilla extract
Any sprinkles, cherries or other additions you want for added fun

Directions:
1. Gather 1 gallon of fresh snow
2. Add the sugar and extract and mix together
3. Add the milk to your desired consistancy.
4. Add all of the fun toppings you want

** You should serve immediately as snow does tend to melt quite quickly. You can put it in the freezer to save for later if you make enough.

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Crayon Drip Pumpkin

November 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

I love making my own decorations especially if I can reuse them year after year and for more than one occasion. You may have real or fake pumpkins left over from Halloween so why not put them to good use. If you have crayons that have about had it and are looking for something to do with them this is the perfect project for you and your family. This is a great project for schools or parties as well.

 

Supplies:

Crayons (if you have fun crayons like glitter or glow in the dark, multi color crayons)
Hair Dryer (or lighter with parents supervision)
Fast Grab Tacky Glue
Pumpkin orange or white (real or fake)
Towel, Sheet or bag to cover the area where you will be working
Decorations (anything you want to use to put your personal touch to the craft)

Directions:

1. Make sure to remove all labels from the crayons as they will not be helpful as the crayons are being melted.
2. Make sure the pumpkin is clean and isn’t spoiling. You don’t want to spend time decorating it for it to go bad after your hard work.
3. Cover the area you are working on with a cloth to make sure you don’t drip on anything important.
4. Break crayons in half, you won’t need a whole crayon for 1 pumpkin.
5. Glue the crayons to the top of the pumpkin, they may not stay still otherwise, if you want to do a drip effect you can hold the crayon and heat it to drip in a pattern of your choice as well.
6. Once you are ready to melt go crazy! Make any design you want drip separately or together.  Have fun with it.

I always say get creative so if you have fun things you want to add to this craft go for it! Use glitter, buttons, broken pins, ribbons or anything you have been looking for an excuse to make use of. Add whatever you want to the pumpkin while the drippings are still wet. Glitter or even sequins would be fun. You could go get leaves, twigs and acorns. Make it your own!

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Creepy Closet Monsters

October 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Creepy Closet Monsters

 

 

This is my favorite time of year with my favorite holiday coming up! I love decorating for Halloween! There are soo many fun things you and your family can do to spook up your home simply and inexpensivly with things you have lying around the house. Creepy Closet Monsters are the perfect way to decorate and get some use out of the wire hangers you might have lying around at home. If you like this craft enough you can do this for other holidays and even make some for everyday. Why not make your closet pretty instead of having to buy expensive hangers. You can even reinforce the wire hangers while decorating so they can last longer/hold heavier clothes.

 

 

 

Materials:
Wire Hangers
Construction Paper
Fabric
Ribbons
Stickers
Glitter
Poster Board
Card Stock
Tacky Glue
Tape
Any possible decorations you have lying around.

Instructions:

1.For each hanger, trace the body of a hanger onto poster board, then cut out the shape.

2.Cut facial features, designs, decorations from poster board and card stock, adhering them to the base shape with tacky glue.

3.Let the glue dry, then tape the poster board face or design to the hanger.

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2012 Tips For Greening Your 4th

July 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
2012 Tips For Greening Your 4th

2012 Tips For Greening Your 4th

 

 

The 4th of July is upon us again. I have been scouring blogs, articles and newscasts to find new green tips for your 4th. Here are some things that have been mentioned before and some new things I didn’t even think of.

1.We know Fireworks are no beuno! Besides the noise that scares outdoor animals and are harmful for the environment not to mention dangerous, did you also know that the 4th of July is the #1 day pets run away? I was unaware but I did recently find this out.

2.You know to make sure to use reusable/recyclable utensils for the event. If you are having a big party there is no need to have big garbage. There are plenty of affordable options for serving.

3.Make as little waste as possible. Give away left overs and don’t over cook. I know for parties people are always concerned about not having enough food. Purchase items you and your family will eat even after the holiday. You don’t have to make everything right now all at once. Make food in shifts. If people are still hungry you can always make more. You also don’t have to leave all of the food out. People will eat just because food is sitting there. Put out smaller portions. You can save on money and waste.

4. No one likes bug and this time of year there are plenty especially when there is food around. Try using natural insect repellents such as natural citronella candles, or essential oils such as cinnamon, castor oil, rose geranium and orange oil. You can find plenty of DIY repellent recipes online.

5. You know going local, organic and as meat free as possible is a great way to lower your carbon foot print. Make sure to do your best to adhere to those rules but also remember having to travel a far distance or spending money on expensive products sort of defeats the purpose so be reasonable with your decisions.

6. As your evening winds down you will be tempted to turn on all sorts of lights and light all kinds of fires. As tempting as fire side snacks seem there are many carcinogens released into the air depending on what you are using to start this fire. Use natural products ie plain old wood from your back yard. The same goes for the charcoal on your grill people, propane is a much more green alternative! Keep solar lights handy. If they are already outside of your house during the day you won’t need to turn on any additional lights. You can save on your energy bill as well.

7. Hand make and save your decorations. If you must purchase decor then go for sturdier options that will last for years instead of ones that might get ruined or not last the day. Making the decorations is a super fun option and activity everyone can share in. You can make it a fun family tradition.

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Rainforest In A Jar

May 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Rainforest In a Jar

Rainforest In a Jar

 

I have been seeing home made terrariums and succulent wreaths and the like I saw this and thought this was a perfect craft for the home. It is a learning experience and looks pretty awesome too. Many of the materials used for this project can be found in your home with the exception of the plants which is a great way to use up odds and ends of gardening materials and containers.

 

 

 

 

Materials:

  • Glass container with a top and an opening wide enough to fit your hand into
  • Pea gravel or aquarium gravel
  • Activated charcoal (available at gardening stores)
  • Potting soil mix
  • Selection of small houseplants (the one above includes a prayer plant, a button fern, a Persian shield, an aluminum plant, and a miniature African violet)
  • Spray bottle

Instructions
1. Place a 1- to 2-inch layer of the gravel in the container, then sprinkle on a thin layer of the activated charcoal.
2.Top this with a layer (from 2 inches to as much as one fourth of the height of the terrarium) of potting soil.
3.To add the plants, first scoop out holes for planting, then take the plants from their pots and carefully remove any excess soil from their roots.
4.Set the plants in their holes, then gently pack the soil around each one.
5.Lightly mist the plants with a spray bottle.
6. Replace the jar’s lid and set the rain forest in a bright spot away from direct sunlight. Your indoor garden may never need watering, but check it every few weeks and add more water by lightly spritzing the plants with the spray bottle if the soil feels dry.
7.If heavy condensation forms inside the glass, temporarily lift the cover to let some of the moisture escape.

Shop The Rainforest Site

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Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit

April 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The great folks at Eartheasy.com sent me a Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit to try and I think it is just about the coolest thing ever. Here are some pictures I took from day 1 to 6. It supposed to take 10 days but I think my mushrooms are doing soo well I had to show you.

Mushrooms Day 2

Mushrooms Day 2

Mushrooms Day 3

Mushrooms Day 3

Mushrooms Day 4

Mushrooms Day 4

Mushrooms Day 5

Mushrooms Day 5

Mushrooms Day 6

Mushrooms Day 6

In 6 days this is how much they have grown. All you have to do is keep them out of direct sunlight, spritz with water 2 times a day and watch them grow. Then when you are finished with 1 side. You can turn it around and the start on the other side!!

This is a great way to teach kids about plant care, gardening (albiet differently) and being responsible. This makes a cool gift even for an adult. I have been having so much fun. Every morning I wake up to see how different they look and before I go to bed. They grew so fast I almost couldn’t believe it.Eartheasy.com has some other really cool grow your own kits as well. Check them out here Eartheasy.com and on Twitter & Facebook to find more super cool items.

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Egg-cellent Easter Craft

April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Easter Egg Garland

Easter Egg Garland

 

 

I found this craft on Pinterest…yes, I know you are shocked but I figured this could come in handy for a few different reasons besides some pretty garland. I wanted to green it up just a bit.  You can make less disposable items to use for decorations year round or even just for multiple Easters.

 

Supplies:

Non Toxic Eco Paste (the original craft calls for liquid starch and flour)
Water
Pastel Hemp Cord (or any ribbons/thread/string you might have at home)
Shallow bowl for dipping string
Biodegradable Balloons (or regular balloons if you have them at home)

 

Directions:

1. Put eco-paste and water in a shallow bowl and mix

2. Blow up balloons to desired sizes.

3. Place string carefully into bowl and either coil the string and press into sticky mixture but keep your hands on the end of the string so you can find it easily.

4. Wrap the string around your balloon in the desired patter/shapes. Make sure to wipe off excess mixture so it doesn’t dry that way on your string.

5. Once finished wrapping the balloons find a place where they can sit and dry undisturbed. Wait at least 4 hours to make sure they are completely dry.

6. Pop your balloons! Then you can string them on a garland, place them in bowls or hide them around the house!

These eggs will last for quite awhile and can be kept around for decoration long after Easter is over. You can put candy and toys in them carefully and use them as gifts. There is alot to be done with these eggs.

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