tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41917627883662680782024-03-13T09:21:20.958-07:00Keep Calm & DIYRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-75663496120235478132013-05-10T21:44:00.002-07:002013-05-11T07:48:43.921-07:00Easy Furniture Revamp - Cedar Chest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hp7DtT4HRxU/UY3AY2qjDCI/AAAAAAAAAl0/DMozpahGrAA/s1600/Before+&+After.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hp7DtT4HRxU/UY3AY2qjDCI/AAAAAAAAAl0/DMozpahGrAA/s320/Before+&+After.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My parents gave me this "hope chest" when I was in my teens...I can't remember which year exactly, but it's been around for awhile now. :) Now that I've been married for a few years and all my "hopes" have been unloaded from my hope chest and put to good use in our home, the chest now holds our extra coats, hats, gloves, etc. We've had two dogs since we've been married, both of which thought the top of the bench made an excellent bed and, as you can imagine, that kind of wear is hard on upholstery. I decided last summer (this got to be a sadly procrastinated project!!) that this bench needed a makeover, and set about it's transformation. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynzI3Qi8_4g/UY3AkhNfLTI/AAAAAAAAAl8/eFu8XseshEY/s1600/IMG_2205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynzI3Qi8_4g/UY3AkhNfLTI/AAAAAAAAAl8/eFu8XseshEY/s320/IMG_2205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here it is in all of it's glory. :) It's sitting just inside our patio doors, and the sun has faded it badly...</div>
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One of our dogs thought (during the puppy phase) that this corner looked like a good chew toy. </div>
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The upholstery was pretty shot, and out of date anyway. </div>
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I started by removing the bench pad and hardware from the chest. All of these were very easy to remove...I just had to reach inside and unscrew them. :)</div>
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There they are! :) Make sure you don't loose any little pieces. I had intended to spray paint the hardware, but after a little more thought decided I liked it the color it was. One less step is always nice. :)</div>
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Next I found a black vinyl fabric to recover the bench pad. It's got a faux leather texture to it, and is pretty thick and soft...seems like it will wear MUCH better than the previous upholstery. :) Also, all the mud that gets dragged in will wipe right off! </div>
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I laid the bench pad upside down on the back of the vinyl and trimmed the new piece to size. Make sure to leave several inches all around the edges. </div>
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Then, using my husband's staple gun, I fastened the ends in place. </div>
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Once the ends are securely stapled down, fold over the sides and staple them as well. </div>
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Not all of the staples wanted to go thru the thicker vinyl very well, so I had to hammer them in the rest of the way. </div>
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Now for the corners. You can really fold them over however you like, but this is how I did mine. Pull the extra fabric straight up...</div>
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...and then pull it down and spread out the sides. Sorry, it's hard to explain...hopefully you can follow what I did there. :)</div>
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Staple that in place as well. Repeat with each corner. </div>
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Here's how they look from the finished side. </div>
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Another angle...I think it makes a nice, finished looking corner. </div>
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All done with the pad! :)</div>
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Already looking better!! :) </div>
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Next you need to decide how you want to refinish you wood. If you're really ambitious you can totally strip it down and re-stain it. I HATE (not dislike....H-A-T-E!!!) sandpaper!!! I hate the feel, I hate the sound, I hate the dust...I just hate it all!! So I wanted to come up with a way of revamping my wood without having to use sandpaper. Here's where I made a very baaaaaaaaad decision. : \</div>
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I decided I was going to just use a chocolate brown spray paint on the wood. I mean, how much worse could it look? I started spraying it on and almost instantly realized that was NOT a good idea. It looked so tacky and gross and I was NOT happy. :( I stopped right away, and that is how the poor bench sat from last August till this week. Hey, I told you I procrastinated!!! :) I didn't want to continue with the spray paint, and I REALLY didn't want to have to sand the whole thing down and re-stain it...but what other options did I have?</div>
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Then, earlier this week, I discovered PolyShades from Minwax. Wow!! I wish I had found this stuff years ago!! :) It stains and polyurethanes all in 1step, and can be used on already finished wood. Awesome!! I did wind up having to sand all that stupid spray paint off the front of the bench (wearing my husband's heavy work gloves so I didn't have to touch the sandpaper!! Haha...), and you are supposed to lightly sand finished wood before applying the stain, which I also did over most of the bench...I did stain a couple of places without doing a thing to them first, and they turned out fine. :)</div>
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Progress!! :) The lid of the bench had never been finished, except around the edges, so it took a couple thick coats to look decent. </div>
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Looking soooooooooo much better!!! :) </div>
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After a couple of coats of my amazing PolyShades, I was ready to reattach the bench pad and hardware! Voila!! It looks soooooooo much better now, and fits in with the rest of my furniture much better. Now that I know how easy it is to refinish wood using PolyShades, I may just form a new addiction... ;) Good luck with your own revamps!!</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-42922288729036469852013-02-12T15:57:00.002-08:002013-02-12T15:57:56.680-08:00Custom Canvas Wall Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We recently repainted and redecorated our bathroom and I wanted to find a nice canvas piece for the wall. I really loved these (the first 3 below, found at www.notonthehighstreet.com) but they are (believe it or not!!) $338.04....EACH!! Yes, they're pretty....but not THAT pretty! :)</div>
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I figured I could do something similar for MUCH less than that. :) </div>
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I found a 2 pack of 16x20" canvases as Hobby Lobby for $7.99. I also got the packs of chipboard letters there...they were $4.99 a pack, but were on sale for 40% off. :) I love Hobby Lobby's sales! I can't remember how much the spray paint was, but it was a few dollars. You will also need Tacky Glue or some other adhesive. </div>
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I really liked the way the other pictures had different sizes of letters; however, I decided I wanted to do Psalm 19:14 and it was long enough I was worried there wouldn't be enough room if I did any words in bigger letters, so I used all the same size. I'd like to try one sometime that's more like the ones in the above pictures though. :)</div>
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I just started sorting thru the letters and laying out the words....</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYYaJ7aF-Tg/URrIHr-cKAI/AAAAAAAAAjg/p-icVzYYI3A/s1600/IMG_1799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tYYaJ7aF-Tg/URrIHr-cKAI/AAAAAAAAAjg/p-icVzYYI3A/s320/IMG_1799.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lots of letters!! :)</div>
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Once I had them roughly laid out and knew how many lines I would need, I measured out the lines and used a level to trace them lightly onto the canvas with a pencil. </div>
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Then I went along, one letter at a time, and glued them down, using the lines as a guide. I also used a ruler to try and space out the words, although I just "guesstimated" most of it. :)</div>
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I guess I didn't take any pics of this next step, but once all the letters were glued down and the glue had dried I took it outside and spray painted it all ivory. Make sure to spray the sides of the canvas as well. It may take more than one coat....once it's dried, check for any thin spots that need a second coat. </div>
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Then get your sweet husband to hang it all up for you. :) I also made the smaller square canvas...the metal "H" I got for $3.99 at Hobby Lobby, and I think I also got the smaller canvas there, but can't remember the price. I just glued the "H" to the canvas and sprayed them ivory as well. :) The solid oak shelf I picked up for $2.99 at Saver's. :)</div>
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I was very happy with how it all turned out!! :)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yELYyhT0Wkc/URrImrU3VcI/AAAAAAAAAkM/MY2iLqWG7u4/s1600/IMG_4054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yELYyhT0Wkc/URrImrU3VcI/AAAAAAAAAkM/MY2iLqWG7u4/s320/IMG_4054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now it's your turn! Hobby Lobby has lots of different sizes of chipboard letters...or you could use wooden letters....I'd love to see what you come up with! :)</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-64455485676654557612012-11-14T16:05:00.003-08:002012-11-16T13:56:13.146-08:00Lip Gloss Sticks (or Solid Lip Gloss)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's another version of lip gloss that I've tried and loved. I think it's a little simpler than the <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/11/liquid-lip-gloss.html">liquid version</a> I posted earlier. I really like them both!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZecqmk00pk/UKQsW3sCNnI/AAAAAAAAAic/ZsDaKiVtrxc/s1600/IMG_3242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZecqmk00pk/UKQsW3sCNnI/AAAAAAAAAic/ZsDaKiVtrxc/s320/IMG_3242.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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For this all you need is some non-petroleum "petroleum" jelly (click <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/11/non-petroleum-petroleum-jelly.html">here</a> for my recipe) and some sort of color. I used a mica pigment from Coastal Scents (available <a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/make-your-own-100/makeup-ingredients/mica-pigments.html">here</a>). I think a small chunk of lipstick would also work, or maybe some Kool Aid powder or powdered beet root, although I have not personally tried either of those. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MxNq69VwYJI/UKQq2GwedbI/AAAAAAAAAiU/3P8C0CRRTKg/s1600/IMG_3158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MxNq69VwYJI/UKQq2GwedbI/AAAAAAAAAiU/3P8C0CRRTKg/s320/IMG_3158.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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I didn't measure this, but I probably used about a tablespoon of the jelly. Not that it really matters tho...since all you're doing is adding color to it, use as much as you want. :) When you're filling lip balm tubes, a little goes a LONG way, so I'd start small.</div>
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Put the jelly in a small glass bowl and microwave for about 30-40 seconds. Stir in any un-melted chunks until smooth. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iR655O7yw_8/UKQseT47g3I/AAAAAAAAAik/KHuavEF_pa4/s1600/IMG_3243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iR655O7yw_8/UKQseT47g3I/AAAAAAAAAik/KHuavEF_pa4/s320/IMG_3243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Add your color to the melted jelly and stir. I probably used about 1/2 a teaspoon of this pigment, but this is very much "to taste." Not that you should be EATING it, but put in as much pigment as you need to get to the color you want. :) I used the Crome Carmine pigment from Coastal Scents. Just a heads up..."carmine" is a reddish pigment derived from scale insects. If that freaks you out, use something else. :) The process it goes thru thoroughly removes any insect, so it's not exactly like you're smearing crushed bugs straight on your lips. Plus, when you think about all the things that are in regular lipstick (fish scales, anyone?), this probably doesn't sound quite so bad. ;)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--PhFRI4XmGA/UKQZXHDPwFI/AAAAAAAAAfA/LImmXD1VgSY/s1600/IMG_2828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--PhFRI4XmGA/UKQZXHDPwFI/AAAAAAAAAfA/LImmXD1VgSY/s320/IMG_2828.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I guess I didn't get any pics of stirring in the color or filling the tubes, but it's basically the same process as my <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/09/tinted-lip-balm.html">tinted lip balm</a>, so check out that post if you'd like pictures. :) Work quickly to fill the tubes before the gloss hardens. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ehmeh3HFld0/UKQZbwSp3aI/AAAAAAAAAfI/7LF7b3ZV1pk/s1600/IMG_2833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ehmeh3HFld0/UKQZbwSp3aI/AAAAAAAAAfI/7LF7b3ZV1pk/s320/IMG_2833.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let the tubes sit (either at room temp or in the refrigerator) until solid all the way through. This lip gloss will be solid at room temp, but will melt against your lips into a rich, glossy balm. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0fprdA8k-G8/UKQZMQOWYtI/AAAAAAAAAew/WfA7UhlDiMk/s1600/IMG_2814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0fprdA8k-G8/UKQZMQOWYtI/AAAAAAAAAew/WfA7UhlDiMk/s320/IMG_2814.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pigment I used made a rich rose gloss with a strong, gold-glittery overtone....very pretty!! </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7klmOf9Mw5Y/UKQb5pBqBBI/AAAAAAAAAhk/oPaJs3kokOU/s1600/lip+gloss+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7klmOf9Mw5Y/UKQb5pBqBBI/AAAAAAAAAhk/oPaJs3kokOU/s320/lip+gloss+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here are my lips again...haha. I really like the gold tones! Very shimmery. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SPRFeqm-0_s/UKQZSpRb88I/AAAAAAAAAe4/d0RLSy3ChOY/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SPRFeqm-0_s/UKQZSpRb88I/AAAAAAAAAe4/d0RLSy3ChOY/s320/IMG_2817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And there you have it! Another simple, natural, petroleum FREE, lip gloss!! :)</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-53262703234814394352012-11-12T15:07:00.000-08:002012-11-14T15:26:50.543-08:00Liquid Lip Gloss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As I mentioned in my <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/11/non-petroleum-petroleum-jelly.html">non-petroleum "petroleum" jelly post</a>, I've been wanting to try my own lip gloss, but without using vaseline. I couldn't really find a recipe for what I had in mind, so I experimented and came up with my own lip gloss recipe. :) Since I made this up as I went along, it's not very exact...but hopefully it will give you some inspiration as you make your OWN lip gloss! :)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSiksa602qg/UKQaTnE_xwI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Hntc_7OIPFs/s1600/IMG_3184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSiksa602qg/UKQaTnE_xwI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Hntc_7OIPFs/s320/IMG_3184.JPG" width="273" /></a></div>
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I used:</div>
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~ Approx. 1 tablespoon non-petroleum "petroleum" jelly (click <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/11/non-petroleum-petroleum-jelly.html">here</a> for the recipe...you could try using vaseline if you'd rather not make your own. I'm guessing it would work out about the same)</div>
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~ Approx. 1 tablespoon castor oil (sorry, I didn't exactly measure...I just used what looked like about equal amounts)</div>
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~ Color - I handmade my color using Ultra Silk mica (a mix of mica and titanium dioxide) and red iron oxide (both bought from <a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/">Coastal Scents</a>). If you don't want to make your own color, you could use a pre-mixed mica pigment (I've bought several of <a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/make-your-own-100/makeup-ingredients/mica-pigments.html">these</a> from Coastal Scents and have been impressed with them!) or you could try a little Kool Aid powder or dried beet powder...those are both things I've seen used in other recipes, but I haven't tried myself. If all else fails, I'm guessing a small chunk of lipstick would do the trick as well! :) </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PzGyeFo-nEI/UKQZrUhrSuI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/wRlec75zCOs/s1600/IMG_3167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PzGyeFo-nEI/UKQZrUhrSuI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/wRlec75zCOs/s320/IMG_3167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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First I mixed my color, using my mortar & pestle to grind the red iron oxide into the ultra silk mica. If you're using iron oxide, you will need to mix it using something like a mortar & pestle or coffee grinder. I've tried mixing it with just a spoon or toothpick, and while it LOOKS well blended, when you try to apply it you'll find lots of little un-mixed bits that will leave bright red streaks. Not too cool.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oV8irZZK0OQ/UKQZ1SUymcI/AAAAAAAAAfY/JhLFFrIT4I0/s1600/IMG_3169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oV8irZZK0OQ/UKQZ1SUymcI/AAAAAAAAAfY/JhLFFrIT4I0/s320/IMG_3169.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think I used about 1 teaspoon of ultra silk mica, and just a FEW grains of red iron oxide. It doesn't take much, and you can always add a little more if it turns out too pale at first. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Omtk7LnPEgY/UKQaADYRLxI/AAAAAAAAAfg/f_WKmDrBsh0/s1600/IMG_3173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Omtk7LnPEgY/UKQaADYRLxI/AAAAAAAAAfg/f_WKmDrBsh0/s320/IMG_3173.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was going for a very pale pink...it was hard to photograph, but I liked it! The ultra silk mica has a shimmery/pearly finish which was really pretty with the soft pink color. </div>
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Next, put roughly equal parts of jelly and castor oil into a small glass bowl, and then microwave for about 40 seconds. </div>
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If there are any unmelted chunks when you take it out of the microwave, stir them in until it's all smooth and liquid. </div>
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Add your color and mix. </div>
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Stir until smooth.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XcLzSV5iAQM/UKQa92opn5I/AAAAAAAAAgY/nP68RK0uatE/s1600/IMG_3189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XcLzSV5iAQM/UKQa92opn5I/AAAAAAAAAgY/nP68RK0uatE/s320/IMG_3189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got my lip gloss containers from <a href="http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/">Elements Bath & Body</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9b_oQypBTI/UKQbHshtoYI/AAAAAAAAAgg/yu3Mmcwvsl8/s1600/IMG_3191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9b_oQypBTI/UKQbHshtoYI/AAAAAAAAAgg/yu3Mmcwvsl8/s320/IMG_3191.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Use a plastic pipette (I ordered mine <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Transfer-Pipettes-Gradulated-Pack/dp/B005IQTSE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352933691&sr=8-1&keywords=pipettes">here</a>) or dropper, fill the lip gloss tubes. You will need to work quickly as it gets really hard to work with as it cools. If you need to, you can stick it back in the microwave (pipette and all) for 5-10 seconds. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQHiXTr2CbM/UKQbQtAtcMI/AAAAAAAAAgo/kOragCOAojg/s1600/IMG_3192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQHiXTr2CbM/UKQbQtAtcMI/AAAAAAAAAgo/kOragCOAojg/s320/IMG_3192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wound up with more than I thought, and had to run grab a third tube. :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZunmXbB2hI/UKQbV8dtvWI/AAAAAAAAAgw/33BSzc3NSIE/s1600/IMG_3193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZunmXbB2hI/UKQbV8dtvWI/AAAAAAAAAgw/33BSzc3NSIE/s320/IMG_3193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I really like this soft pink color!!</div>
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Next, put in the reducers, if your bottles came with them. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GlWKz-G31hc/UKQbnexVFVI/AAAAAAAAAhE/p4-KQGPlIdk/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GlWKz-G31hc/UKQbnexVFVI/AAAAAAAAAhE/p4-KQGPlIdk/s320/IMG_3197.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just push 'em in! :)</div>
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And there you have it!! :) Simple, natural lip gloss, NO petroleum products needed!! :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05S3P7hHVLY/UKQbxsDtLRI/AAAAAAAAAhU/0ZeyxyKRW0A/s1600/IMG_3209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05S3P7hHVLY/UKQbxsDtLRI/AAAAAAAAAhU/0ZeyxyKRW0A/s320/IMG_3209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These would make really nice gifts!</div>
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Here's a shot of my lips (do you have any idea how hard it is to take pics of your own lips?! Haha) wearing this lip gloss. It goes on thick and creamy, and lasts for quite awhile (at least for me). It doesn't leave a lot of color on, but it has a really pretty shimmer. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OenRlhBKcyQ/UKQb2pmQtNI/AAAAAAAAAhc/1yQGiQswqxE/s1600/IMG_3236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OenRlhBKcyQ/UKQb2pmQtNI/AAAAAAAAAhc/1yQGiQswqxE/s320/IMG_3236.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's very pale...but I like it. :) </div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-40463630004257128212012-11-09T14:14:00.000-08:002012-11-09T14:14:15.056-08:00Non-Petroleum "Petroleum" Jelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been reading lately about the bad side effects of petroleum products on our health....the bad thing is, petroleum is in EVERYTHING!!! Vaseline, baby oil, mineral oil, lip gloss, anti-biotic gels....start reading labels, and you'll be amazed! So I was excited to find a recipe recently for a NON-Petroleum jelly. The recipe I found called for olive oil, but since I've been wanting to make lip gloss (most of the recipes I've found called for petroleum jelly) and I didn't want it to smell/taste like olive oil or have a green tint, I decided to substitute castor oil since it's pretty clear and has a similar consistency to olive oil. It worked out really well! </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wjnLjZQTGYM/UJ12JWBy0ZI/AAAAAAAAAc8/-wyarkoJr3A/s1600/IMG_2794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wjnLjZQTGYM/UJ12JWBy0ZI/AAAAAAAAAc8/-wyarkoJr3A/s320/IMG_2794.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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You will need:</div>
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- 1/8 cup beeswax (grated, or pastilles...I used white pastilles so the jelly would be white/clear. You can use yellow beeswax too if you don't mind the yellowish tint)</div>
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- 1/2 cup castor oil (or olive oil) </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSS-uiz7754/UJ12TJhVWEI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Sr7-sZtec5s/s1600/IMG_2797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSS-uiz7754/UJ12TJhVWEI/AAAAAAAAAdE/Sr7-sZtec5s/s320/IMG_2797.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
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Pour into a small glass jar.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2LAcAIAmqA/UJ12bL2H8hI/AAAAAAAAAdM/oYhO7BRreoI/s1600/IMG_2804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2LAcAIAmqA/UJ12bL2H8hI/AAAAAAAAAdM/oYhO7BRreoI/s320/IMG_2804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Use a small saucepan of water as a double boiler.</div>
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Boil and stir until all the beeswax is melted. </div>
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Remove from heat, and let sit until cooled and hardened thru. </div>
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Simple, huh?! :)</div>
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When it's solid it is maybe a little harder than vaseline, but it melts to the touch and feels just like vaseline to me! It's SUPER moisturizing!! </div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-92229613161877907212012-11-02T12:59:00.000-07:002013-11-29T21:38:37.285-08:00Homemade Deodorant that WORKS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been looking into natural and/or homemade deodorants for awhile now...reading reviews and comments from people who have bought/made them, trying to find information about commercial deodorants and the effects of their ingredients. I still don't feel like a have a real handle on that, but I'm trying to head towards more natural products for our family. I tried a few different recipes for homemade deodorant which either didn't work, or did work but smelled bad/funny. I wanted to find something that was natural, but still WORKED and DIDN'T make me smell funny. :) I know, I know...that's asking a lot. But I finally found one that seems to fit the bill! I adjusted the recipe slightly, but the original recipe is as follows:</div>
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- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder</div>
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- 3 tablespoons baking soda</div>
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- 3.5 tablespoons coconut oil</div>
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- 1.5 tablespoons beeswax (either grated flakes, or pellets/pastilles)</div>
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- 12 drops tea tree oil</div>
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- 10-12 drops any other essential oil or oils you prefer (optional...only add up to another 10-12 drops combined)</div>
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- 3 drops castor oil (optional...just helps it glide on better)</div>
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I made this recipe just as given above, using extra virgin coconut oil. I found I really didn't like the smell of that oil (I'm not a big coconut fan) and every deodorant I've tried with tea tree oil has really bugged me...I just don't like that smell! However, the deodorant DID seem to work...so I decided to try the recipe again using my more refined coconut oil (cheaper, AND no smell) and omit the tea tree oil. Below is my adapted recipe.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u6rVgd12aM0/UJ1aRVakvOI/AAAAAAAAAa8/a9Gm2WHtAK8/s1600/IMG_3037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u6rVgd12aM0/UJ1aRVakvOI/AAAAAAAAAa8/a9Gm2WHtAK8/s320/IMG_3037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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What you'll need:</div>
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- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder </div>
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(which I didn't have, so I substituted cornstarch instead...seems to work well!)</div>
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- 3 tablespoons baking soda</div>
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- 3 tablespoons coconut oil</div>
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- 1.5 tablespoons beeswax (grated or pellets)</div>
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- 10 20 drops essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice (optional)</div>
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- 3 drops castor oil for extra glide (optional) (UPDATE: Now that I've made this recipe several times, I'm adding about 1 teaspoon of castor oil. It gets rid of the dry, itchy feeling I was dealing with at first. Just don't add too much more than that, or your deodorant won't harden well)</div>
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- Cleaned deodorant container (or whatever container you'd like to use)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KW0HXaxXo9A/UJ1aVakRTFI/AAAAAAAAAbE/KKvu6iz4ZYk/s1600/IMG_3040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KW0HXaxXo9A/UJ1aVakRTFI/AAAAAAAAAbE/KKvu6iz4ZYk/s320/IMG_3040.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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Put all ingredients except essential/fragrance oils into a small glass jar.</div>
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Place the jar in a small saucepan of boiling water...this acts as a double boiler. </div>
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Mix up the ingredients as well as possible...this will get easier as they start to melt. :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wG6vSz8ZtUc/UJ1awMUgA9I/AAAAAAAAAbo/rRkHw_cRq24/s1600/IMG_3048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wG6vSz8ZtUc/UJ1awMUgA9I/AAAAAAAAAbo/rRkHw_cRq24/s320/IMG_3048.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Keep stirring....</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yiRsH-eOXXw/UJ1a3FYD3WI/AAAAAAAAAbw/wegwovFJs6I/s1600/IMG_3049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yiRsH-eOXXw/UJ1a3FYD3WI/AAAAAAAAAbw/wegwovFJs6I/s320/IMG_3049.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...until everything is smooth and melted. :)</div>
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Remove from the hot water and add essential or fragrance oils. I usually use essential oils in things because they're natural and good for you....but this time I used a fragrance oil from <a href="http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/">Elements Bath & Body</a>. I know it's synthetic, but I wanted a really good smelling deodorant so I fudged. :) By all means, use your favorite essential oil if you'd rather avoid the synthetics! </div>
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UPDATE: </div>
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I've also made this using various essential oils. I really like citrus oils...lemon, lemon & lavender, lemongrass, or the Citrus Bliss blend from doTERRA smell wonderful. </div>
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Works very well and still smells good! </div>
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Pour into a cleaned out deodorant container (fyi, these containers are SUPER hard to clean out!! Deodorant is NOT made to be washable, and the left-over gunk in the containers stays true to it's original purpose!! After trying every soap and cleaner I could find, the thing that worked best was pouring some GooGone into the container, putting the lid on, shaking it up, and letting it sit for awhile. Then I rinsed it out and washed it with soap...the GooGone took most of the leftover deodorant right out!!)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AMWKnSa5AOE/UJ1bPkzfd8I/AAAAAAAAAcI/EB8iF7hqYg8/s1600/IMG_3056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AMWKnSa5AOE/UJ1bPkzfd8I/AAAAAAAAAcI/EB8iF7hqYg8/s320/IMG_3056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I actually made a smaller version of this recipe (I think I did 2 tablespoons of the main ingredients instead of 3, and pared everything else down accordingly), but it didn't make quite enough to fill up my container, so I would go with the 3 tablespoons recipe. :) Let the deodorant harden either at room temp or in the refrigerator until it's solid all the way thru. </div>
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Once it was solid, I cranked it up to the top. :)</div>
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And there you have it! I haven't had any problem with this melting at room temp...you might have to keep it in the fridge if you house is really, REALLY warm, but otherwise it should be fine at room temp. :) I've been wearing this deodorant exclusively for the last couple of weeks and although we haven't exactly been in the middle of our warmest weather, I've been in some situations where I've definitely been able to put this to the test (UPDATE: It's been a fairly hot summer so far, and I've been gardening. I'm still using my homemade deodorant. Case closed). :) I have worked up a sweat but this kept me 100% BO free, and I feel like it worked better as an antiperspirant than my commercial deodorant! That was a surprise as I didn't expect it to do much as an antiperspirant...but it worked well for me! The first few times I used it, it felt really dry and itchy when it went on...I started rubbing a drop of either castor oil or sweet almond oil over the surface before applying the deodorant...I only do that every few uses, and it took care of the dry feeling (UPDATE: As mentioned in the ingredients list, slightly upping the amount of castor oil in the recipe helps get rid of this feeling). :) Don't screw it up very far before applying, as it gets soft with your body heat and you may wind up getting on a lot more than you wanted. :)</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-74504144121339533862012-10-21T19:18:00.000-07:002012-11-09T19:05:05.360-08:00Nourishing Sweet Almond Oil Lotion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's another of my anti-dry-winter-skin experiments. :) I got the recipe from my sister-in-law and added some fun scents to make it my own.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S9sxKqF5iIw/UISmsFKP5RI/AAAAAAAAAYg/4K_Dblz6qIQ/s1600/IMG_2705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S9sxKqF5iIw/UISmsFKP5RI/AAAAAAAAAYg/4K_Dblz6qIQ/s320/IMG_2705.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You will need:</div>
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1/2 cup sweet almond oil, or else 1/4 cup sweet almond oil and 1/4 cup grape seed oil</div>
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(after I took the picture I decided to use half sweet almond oil and half grape seed oil, so that's why the grape seed oil isn't in the picture. Either way works well)</div>
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1/4 cup coconut oil</div>
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1/4 cup beeswax (either grated or in pellets)</div>
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1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)</div>
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Essential oils or fragrance oils for scent (optional) </div>
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She told me you can also add 2 tablespoons of a body butter (shea, coco, mango, etc.) if you'd like, but I didn't in this batch. Just another option. :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYRTLnd07Ps/UISm1L7WZGI/AAAAAAAAAYo/z7-ptDulyQc/s1600/IMG_2708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYRTLnd07Ps/UISm1L7WZGI/AAAAAAAAAYo/z7-ptDulyQc/s320/IMG_2708.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Put the almond oil, coconut oil, and beeswax in a glass jar. If you're using a butter, add it at this time too. </div>
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Fill a small saucepan halfway with water, bring to a boil, and set the jar into the water (like a double boiler). Boil and stir until all the beeswax has melted. </div>
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Add vitamin E oil (I have 1000 i.u. tablets and it takes about 4 tablets to get a teaspoon of oil).</div>
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Add any essential oils or fragrance oils. I usually stick with essential oils to keep my products 100% natural, but this time I used a fragrance oil I got from Hobby Lobby along with my vanilla oil. It was a lovely combination!!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rH3EYVvJrqE/UISnmZCeCDI/AAAAAAAAAZM/JsGwzIYHWcU/s1600/IMG_2721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rH3EYVvJrqE/UISnmZCeCDI/AAAAAAAAAZM/JsGwzIYHWcU/s320/IMG_2721.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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Let sit and harden. </div>
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I stuck mine in the fridge to help it harder a little faster. </div>
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Once it's set all the way thru, scoop it out of the jar and into a bowl or stand mixer. </div>
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Whip on high with either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer until light and creamy. </div>
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Keep whipping until there are no hard little lumps left. </div>
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Put into a small container and use as needed. :) A little goes a long way with this lotion. It's very different than the <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/10/whipped-body-butter.html">whipped body butter</a> I posted before...it leaves you a little oily, but it absorbs quickly and is definitely more of a lotion than a body butter. I really like it...it feels so light and soft and makes my skin feel so hydrated and nourished...plus I LOVE the scent combination I used!! Give it a try. :)</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-33866960248389688262012-10-15T18:46:00.000-07:002012-10-15T18:46:23.791-07:00Whipped Body Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I have fairly dry skin, and with winter approaching and bringing with it several months of dry air, I decided to try some recipes for some different kinds of lotions/moisturizers. I found a recipe that looked promising, but it was for lotion BARS, and I wanted to try something more lotiony/buttery, so I adapted it slightly to turn it into a body butter.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4aujPqJ3Bg/UHyeLXKHUqI/AAAAAAAAAV8/ZFAawyvXyRA/s1600/IMG_2307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4aujPqJ3Bg/UHyeLXKHUqI/AAAAAAAAAV8/ZFAawyvXyRA/s320/IMG_2307.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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You will need:</div>
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1/2 cup coconut oil</div>
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1/2 cup shea butter (or mango butter, cocoa butter, etc.)</div>
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1/3 cup grated beeswax or beeswax pellets/pastilles</div>
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1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)</div>
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Essential oils of your choice (I used lemon & lavender)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dck2Q9mDhmM/UHyebmRXUdI/AAAAAAAAAWU/6zYOn7r1eO8/s1600/IMG_2315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dck2Q9mDhmM/UHyebmRXUdI/AAAAAAAAAWU/6zYOn7r1eO8/s320/IMG_2315.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Measure out your coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax, and put them in a pint jar. This will be your double boiler. :)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_1KVeHQXso/UHyeiy4boXI/AAAAAAAAAWk/urY1W0JdG1U/s1600/IMG_2322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_1KVeHQXso/UHyeiy4boXI/AAAAAAAAAWk/urY1W0JdG1U/s320/IMG_2322.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Put the jar in a small pan of boiling water, and stir frequently.</div>
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It will take awhile for everything to melt, but be patient...it will all liquify eventually. :)</div>
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After all your solids are melted, add the vitamin E oil. I only had vitamin E in capsules, so I just poked them with a pin and squeezed the oil out. Gotta do what you gotta do. :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VskuJYgrSaI/UHyezOzMxrI/AAAAAAAAAXA/dKP0PcavAKo/s1600/IMG_2330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VskuJYgrSaI/UHyezOzMxrI/AAAAAAAAAXA/dKP0PcavAKo/s320/IMG_2330.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Next add your essential oils. I honestly can't remember how much I added....probably 10-20 drops of each oil...but I basically just added oils until I liked the smell, so do likewise. :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YHFXAKqA5JE/UHye1mmZFaI/AAAAAAAAAXI/6KoND00sZsM/s1600/IMG_2334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YHFXAKqA5JE/UHye1mmZFaI/AAAAAAAAAXI/6KoND00sZsM/s320/IMG_2334.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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I put the whole jar in the fridge to help the lotion cool more quickly. I kept checking it and stirring it. Once it had started to set up a bit (like the above picture) I poured it out into my stand mixer. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taAZlCuBCaU/UHye5AIdLNI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/CRmCW5GPLJA/s1600/IMG_2339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-taAZlCuBCaU/UHye5AIdLNI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/CRmCW5GPLJA/s320/IMG_2339.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I whipped it on high for several minutes, then put it (mixer bowl and all) back into the fridge for a few minutes...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k79QLetAL6U/UHye8H8Q7gI/AAAAAAAAAXY/TDce1ZMvA_c/s1600/IMG_2341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k79QLetAL6U/UHye8H8Q7gI/AAAAAAAAAXY/TDce1ZMvA_c/s320/IMG_2341.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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...Then I whipped it for a few more minutes on high, and put it back in the fridge for a few MORE minutes...</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sx4JQzvFA50/UHye_FqZhLI/AAAAAAAAAXg/5d48emLxHMY/s1600/IMG_2343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sx4JQzvFA50/UHye_FqZhLI/AAAAAAAAAXg/5d48emLxHMY/s320/IMG_2343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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...And repeat....</div>
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....ahhhh, NOW we're getting somewhere. :) Basically just keep alternating whipping and cooling until it gets to the consistency you're looking for. :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Vhr4SMNBFw/UHyfL2YG_kI/AAAAAAAAAX4/XPRV_gDEQpg/s1600/IMG_2348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Vhr4SMNBFw/UHyfL2YG_kI/AAAAAAAAAX4/XPRV_gDEQpg/s320/IMG_2348.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now when I call this "body butter," I mean it. :) It has a nice, fluffy texture, but when it gets warm (from say, your body heat) it melts into an oil. Once you rub it into your skin you WILL be oily for awhile, but it will eventually soak in!! :) If the excess oil bothers you, just gently blot it off with a clean cloth. I wouldn't recommend using it right before going somewhere...after getting out of the shower or just before bedtime works well. :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7rGNot0oiVs/UHyfOUUM_uI/AAAAAAAAAYA/3CWdHezQ_Qg/s1600/IMG_2354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7rGNot0oiVs/UHyfOUUM_uI/AAAAAAAAAYA/3CWdHezQ_Qg/s320/IMG_2354.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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And there you have it! Whipped Body Butter! :)</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-45572618205790895202012-10-04T07:04:00.000-07:002012-10-04T07:04:32.988-07:00Faux Wrought Iron Toilet Paper Roll Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">A couple years back I came across </span><a href="http://suzyssitcom.com/2012/08/faux-metal-wall-art-including-free-patterns.html" style="text-align: start;">this post</a><span style="text-align: start;"> on making wrought iron like wall art out of the cardboard tubes inside toilet paper and paper towel rolls. I took a screenshot, and was glad I did because she soon had to take the tutorial down as she was picked up by Crafts 'N Things magazine, and they didn't want the tutorial on her blog until after their article about it. I did my wall art based on looking at her picture, but now it would be even easier as she's posted free patterns!! If you'd like to try this project I'd recommend starting with at least one of her patterns to get the hang of it. :) Looking at a picture and guessing how she did it wasn't that easy. :) </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqAzyTWIMgk/UG2OoKvmqlI/AAAAAAAAAS8/7HLUK33x52o/s1600/IMG_2396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqAzyTWIMgk/UG2OoKvmqlI/AAAAAAAAAS8/7HLUK33x52o/s320/IMG_2396.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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What you'll need. </div>
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- Lots of cardboard tubes from both toilet paper and paper towel rolls. For pictures of how to cut them, check out the link I posted above. The paper towel rolls need to be cut into strips lengthwise, and the toilet paper rolls need to be cut open lengthwise, and then cut into strips widthwise to keep the curl of the tube. </div>
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- Square wooden dowels. I bought mine at Hobby Lobby for around $0.80 each. I bought 1/4" dowels, so I cut my cardboard strips 1/4" wide.</div>
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- Tacky Glue</div>
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- Spray paint. I used a black, hammered metal finish paint, and then a few sprays of a silver, glittery metallic for an accent. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vRBhXqS4ruo/UG2PBh7KY_I/AAAAAAAAATE/rKwpIJHK32I/s1600/IMG_9281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vRBhXqS4ruo/UG2PBh7KY_I/AAAAAAAAATE/rKwpIJHK32I/s320/IMG_9281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got my husband to cut my dowels into 10" lengths, then used tacky glue to glue them into square frames. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ukg9PvJXwco/UG2PEzeykWI/AAAAAAAAATM/ZlTxP2RiVWU/s1600/IMG_9282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ukg9PvJXwco/UG2PEzeykWI/AAAAAAAAATM/ZlTxP2RiVWU/s320/IMG_9282.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Use the long, paper towel roll strips for the longer, framing pieces in your design. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5H6q9BpgSxY/UG2PHL2dgwI/AAAAAAAAATU/gQ7nfO5P36k/s1600/IMG_9284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5H6q9BpgSxY/UG2PHL2dgwI/AAAAAAAAATU/gQ7nfO5P36k/s320/IMG_9284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Use the smaller, curly pieces from the toilet paper tubes for the curled parts of your design. Just roll them up into whatever shape you want, and then use the tacky glue to glue them into place. Get creative! Whether you're using a pattern or just coming up with a design on your own, there's always room to experiment with new ideas. :) </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IizQ59ugPfM/UG2PKDN0IGI/AAAAAAAAATg/C0d16MrQnOE/s1600/IMG_9285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IizQ59ugPfM/UG2PKDN0IGI/AAAAAAAAATg/C0d16MrQnOE/s320/IMG_9285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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One corner done! :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-21pA7BaRF14/UG2PMVl_RPI/AAAAAAAAATo/ZjHpJ0CkFzg/s1600/IMG_9297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-21pA7BaRF14/UG2PMVl_RPI/AAAAAAAAATo/ZjHpJ0CkFzg/s320/IMG_9297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I like to start from the corners and work my way in. </div>
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Corners finished! Now for the middle...</div>
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It helps to divide each area into smaller sections, and just do one section at a time. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tu7YDJQCcy0/UG2PiInPpcI/AAAAAAAAAUA/orChGgtXyqk/s1600/IMG_9308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tu7YDJQCcy0/UG2PiInPpcI/AAAAAAAAAUA/orChGgtXyqk/s320/IMG_9308.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finished!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-518BjJOeDjg/UG2PlhNkzYI/AAAAAAAAAUI/m6JgKQdK0Ss/s1600/IMG_9310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-518BjJOeDjg/UG2PlhNkzYI/AAAAAAAAAUI/m6JgKQdK0Ss/s320/IMG_9310.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now for the paint...</div>
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And done! On to number two. :)</div>
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Again, use the paper towel rolls for the longer pieces.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xuk7yfqV5xk/UG2PtiNWQ-I/AAAAAAAAAUg/SBxHASDZreE/s1600/IMG_9319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xuk7yfqV5xk/UG2PtiNWQ-I/AAAAAAAAAUg/SBxHASDZreE/s320/IMG_9319.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just roll and curl those little pieces till they look just the way you want, then glue them down!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tn01Z1v22jo/UG2Qy56LfMI/AAAAAAAAAUo/6oXwpehtF00/s1600/IMG_9343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tn01Z1v22jo/UG2Qy56LfMI/AAAAAAAAAUo/6oXwpehtF00/s320/IMG_9343.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Done with three of my four smaller sections. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRd7kRMHfVg/UG2Q2Al9vTI/AAAAAAAAAUw/awLJw6zLElc/s1600/IMG_9347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wRd7kRMHfVg/UG2Q2Al9vTI/AAAAAAAAAUw/awLJw6zLElc/s320/IMG_9347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Almost there...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JYPFx8qm-8/UG2Q5Tvv_oI/AAAAAAAAAU4/IVOTVkcnBts/s1600/IMG_9351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4JYPFx8qm-8/UG2Q5Tvv_oI/AAAAAAAAAU4/IVOTVkcnBts/s320/IMG_9351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And done!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AVC8Ybqw5LA/UG2Q80NBrfI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Bvnzdi9Mduc/s1600/IMG_9354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AVC8Ybqw5LA/UG2Q80NBrfI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Bvnzdi9Mduc/s320/IMG_9354.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I really think this one is my favorite. :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YB30bLGDBks/UG2RBYTYlbI/AAAAAAAAAVI/XaDjJzFIrRE/s1600/IMG_9356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YB30bLGDBks/UG2RBYTYlbI/AAAAAAAAAVI/XaDjJzFIrRE/s320/IMG_9356.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Paint!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ppWxsq-iAkY/UG2RHmzvIuI/AAAAAAAAAVc/plnjSM6Kde0/s1600/IMG_9363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ppWxsq-iAkY/UG2RHmzvIuI/AAAAAAAAAVc/plnjSM6Kde0/s320/IMG_9363.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And done!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IR-K8meDN5g/UG2RFHFxzeI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/NUOt4dEtqVk/s1600/IMG_9357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IR-K8meDN5g/UG2RFHFxzeI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/NUOt4dEtqVk/s320/IMG_9357.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'd like to do two more in the future so I can have a set of four, but for now I'm happy with my two. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfXKn7gXT68/UG2Olz0y0ZI/AAAAAAAAAS0/dl0XT0Xh72s/s1600/IMG_2388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xfXKn7gXT68/UG2Olz0y0ZI/AAAAAAAAAS0/dl0XT0Xh72s/s320/IMG_2388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Who would have thought that toilet paper rolls could make such beautiful art??!! </div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-90440625933293398692012-09-23T12:36:00.003-07:002012-09-23T12:36:57.322-07:00Baby Butt Balm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We've gone thru many, many tubes of Desitin in this house since having children. For some reason my kids seem to be prone to diaper rash...not that they have them constantly or anything, but we've dealt with our fair share. I've tried a few other kinds of diaper rash creams, but Desitin has been the only thing that really worked for us. However, I really do NOT like Desitin. I mean, it works well, but it's white. And it stains anything and everything it touches. We have so many white smudges on our bedspread...and that stuff gets under your fingernails and won't come out....sigh. When I came across <a href="http://www.simplyrealmoms.com/posts/diy-baby-butt-balm-safe-for-cloth-diapers/">this recipe</a> for a diy "baby butt balm" I decided to give it a try and see if it would work. I don't cloth diaper, but this recipe is safe to use with cloth diapers. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4a5qJfNauxY/UF9aBYqig4I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/EzJSnMvS2n0/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4a5qJfNauxY/UF9aBYqig4I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/EzJSnMvS2n0/s320/IMG_2268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I slightly altered the original recipe because I wanted something a little less greasy, and then halved it. Here's my recipe:</div>
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1/2 cup coconut oil</div>
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3/4 ounce beeswax</div>
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10 drops lavender essential oil</div>
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10 drops tea tree oil (melaleuca) essential oil</div>
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Weigh your beeswax. I cut small chunks off my bar of beeswax, and then once it was weighed I crumbled it into smaller pieces so it would melt faster. You can also use beeswax pellets/pastilles or grate a bar.</div>
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I discovered that small canning jars make excellent double boilers. :) Dump in your wax and coconut oil. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9Nx9QDsIRM/UF9aKsGHE1I/AAAAAAAAARY/Dx1w_w9lEew/s1600/IMG_2278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9Nx9QDsIRM/UF9aKsGHE1I/AAAAAAAAARY/Dx1w_w9lEew/s320/IMG_2278.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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To melt, boil water in a small pan and set the jar into the water. Stir frequently. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eRxP3nSrnlU/UF9aNZNY9fI/AAAAAAAAARg/qIJJELPR9XQ/s1600/IMG_2281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eRxP3nSrnlU/UF9aNZNY9fI/AAAAAAAAARg/qIJJELPR9XQ/s320/IMG_2281.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Since coconut oil melts at 76 degrees and beeswax melts at 140 degrees, it will take awhile to melt the beeswax once the coconut oil melts. Just keep stirring. :)</div>
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Slowly...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-19AF6nbQC0g/UF9aS-pu2KI/AAAAAAAAARw/geLkL3SuE2E/s1600/IMG_2285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-19AF6nbQC0g/UF9aS-pu2KI/AAAAAAAAARw/geLkL3SuE2E/s320/IMG_2285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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....the wax will all melt. :)</div>
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Once it's all liquified, remove from the boiling water and add the essential oils. Stir well.</div>
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I let mine set up in the jar, but next time I think I'll pour it into the final container while it's still liquid. </div>
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Stir once in awhile while it cools. It has such a nice, smooth, glossy texture. :)</div>
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I was going to keep it in the jar, but when I found this empty squeeze container at Walmart I thought this would be much more convenient. </div>
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It has a great texture...firm enough to handle, but it melts into a nice, clear, oily/waxy coating on the skin. I've been using it for some minor redness but until last night I hadn't tried it out on a real diaper rash. Last night we had a nasty one, so I put the balm on thick and the rash was almost completely gone this morning! Keep using at every diaper change while there's any remaining redness. I love this balm...it's cheap, it's natural, it's non-toxic, and it smells good. :) You can also use this for cuts, scrapes, burns, or just dry skin! </div>
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Here's a breakdown of why these ingredients were used, borrowed from SimplyRealMoms.com:</div>
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<b>Coconut Oi</b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b>l</b>: A</span><span style="line-height: 24px;">ntibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial/infection fighting, antioxidant, has no harmful or discomforting side effects and is non-toxic to humans and animals. It is soothing and nourishing to an angry baby butt and is safe for cloth diapers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b>Beeswax</b>: Used to thicken the salve and form a nice breathable barrier on baby’s bottom. Excellent emollient and support for moisture. It protects skin from damaging environmental factors and is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-allergenic, germicidal and has antioxidants.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b>Tea Tree Oil/Melaleuca</b>: Used for it's analgesic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-infections, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, and tissue regeneration properties. It will soothe skin and promote healing as well as killing any bacterial, viral, fungal or yeast infection in the area.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><b>Lavender Oil</b>: Lavender has many benefits, some of which are: analgesic (reduces pain), anti-fungal, antihistamine, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, regenerative and sedative oil. It fights any infection in the diaper area and soothes damaged, sore, red and angry skin. It also encourages cellular regeneration and healing. The scent is calming to you and your child helping release emotional and physical tension associated with the rash.</span></span></div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-27121952241301962362012-09-14T22:00:00.002-07:002012-09-14T22:00:40.051-07:00Tinted Lip Balm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I was soooo excited when my lip balm tubes came in the mail today!! I have a bunch of ideas I've been wanting to try for lip balm, but the first one I wanted to try was a light pink tinted balm. I'm not a real lipstick girl...I like eye makeup, but I don't like a lot of stuff on my mouth. It gets dry and sticky and then my lips feel all peely...ick! I do like a little pink tho, and my lips are always dry, so a pretty pink tinted lip balm was high on my list of DIY projects. :) I mostly followed <a href="http://deliacreates.blogspot.com/2011/07/pink-lip-balm.html">this recipe</a>, but halved it. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wY4GTyuJ1cQ/UFOi8TKohOI/AAAAAAAAAPo/totGlRpPHUM/s1600/IMG_2402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wY4GTyuJ1cQ/UFOi8TKohOI/AAAAAAAAAPo/totGlRpPHUM/s320/IMG_2402.JPG" width="287" /></a></div>
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You will need:</div>
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1 tablespoon grated beeswax</div>
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1 tablespoon coconut oil</div>
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1 teaspoon sweet almond oil </div>
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(I think you could substitute vitamin E oil if you don't have sweet almond)</div>
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5 drops of peppermint essential oil or any other oil you really love </div>
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(peppermint has a cooling effect)</div>
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If you want, you could stop right there and have a nice lip balm. If you want to go for tinted, there are a lot of natural lipsticks, eyeshadows, or colors you could use, but I opted to just go with an old, regular, store-bought lipstick I found in the back of a drawer, and a white cream eye shadow for shimmer. It wasn't really the color I wanted (I wanted more of a bright pink) but I figured it would work for an experimental batch. :) </div>
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Anyway, you will need:</div>
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1 small chunk (maybe about 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon) of lipstick (pick a much darker or brighter shade than what you want your lip balm to be, since it will be lightened by the other ingredients)</div>
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1/4 teaspoon shimmery cream or powder eye shadow</div>
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Containers for your lip balm (I used tubes I bought on eBay for about $0.21 shipped)</div>
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Dropper to fill the tubes</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PrhoSD9WCt0/UFOjKwXf4NI/AAAAAAAAAPw/RIcbo3rYr8c/s1600/IMG_2405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PrhoSD9WCt0/UFOjKwXf4NI/AAAAAAAAAPw/RIcbo3rYr8c/s320/IMG_2405.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Put all your ingredients except the essential oil into a small, glass jar. </div>
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Use a small sauce pan with a couple inches of water as a double boiler (boil the water in the saucepan, and set the glass jar into the water). I used a wooden skewer to stir, since I could just throw it away. This stuff is hard to clean off of things once it hardens. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2uXx_5rvhM/UFOjxIAHthI/AAAAAAAAAQA/ICPhqenQuK8/s1600/IMG_2409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2uXx_5rvhM/UFOjxIAHthI/AAAAAAAAAQA/ICPhqenQuK8/s320/IMG_2409.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Keep stirring until all the ingredients have melted into a smooth liquid. It was sooooo shimmery and pretty! :)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HVrFPss4aLs/UFOkBRZUBxI/AAAAAAAAAQI/v7z2NIrsVHE/s1600/IMG_2410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HVrFPss4aLs/UFOkBRZUBxI/AAAAAAAAAQI/v7z2NIrsVHE/s320/IMG_2410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Add your essential oil and stir well. I wish you could see all the sparkle and dimension...the picture doesn't do it justice. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ZQdxfY5O8/UFOkQ_SX6aI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/tBpu0IncJgI/s1600/IMG_2414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ZQdxfY5O8/UFOkQ_SX6aI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/tBpu0IncJgI/s320/IMG_2414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Quickly (this stuff hardens pretty rapidly) fill your tubes or whatever containers you want to use with the dropper. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hfn3QT3_5i8/UFOkkLvtA0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/hdUYOrvRV1k/s1600/IMG_2415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hfn3QT3_5i8/UFOkkLvtA0I/AAAAAAAAAQY/hdUYOrvRV1k/s320/IMG_2415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This recipe filled 5.75 lip balm tubes (.15 oz). It hardens so quickly that by the time I got to the sixth tube (far left) it had already gotten kinda goopey and didn't fill as nicely...that one got to be my tester. :)</div>
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Cap and let sit until cooled. </div>
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I really liked this lip balm...it felt good, smelled good, looked good....yay! :) I'm really excited to try some other variations in the very near future. ;)</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-42972415202960479562012-09-08T17:55:00.001-07:002012-09-08T17:56:05.390-07:00Body Wash / Liquid Hand Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I like pretty-smelling body wash, but I hate paying $6 a bottle just to smell good. : \ So when I found <a href="http://katiejgibson.blogspot.com/2012/01/frugal-home-series-part-4-homemade.html">this blog post</a> via Pinterest, I decided to give homemade body wash a try. This can also be used as liquid hand soap).</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JC5eTw75gmU/UEvb6sjV6CI/AAAAAAAAAO4/vhbIzHgn4QI/s1600/IMG_2122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JC5eTw75gmU/UEvb6sjV6CI/AAAAAAAAAO4/vhbIzHgn4QI/s320/IMG_2122.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You only need two ingredients (Well, and water. But who counts water??). A bar of soap (I used 97 cent bar of Yardley Oatmeal & Almond from Walmart - which smells HEAVENLY, by the way - and it worked well!), and glycerin. Glycerin can usually be found with skincare in health food stores, near bandaids in drugstores, or where I found mine, Amazon.com. :)</div>
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For this recipe I used a 4oz bar of soap, so make sure to check the weight of yours. If you have an 8oz bar, double the recipe. I've heard rumors that Dove bar soaps do not work with this recipe (they won't gel), so I would avoid using those. :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHh96gYlvAc/UEvbjoMqycI/AAAAAAAAAOU/_nC3aAdWJUo/s1600/IMG_2110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHh96gYlvAc/UEvbjoMqycI/AAAAAAAAAOU/_nC3aAdWJUo/s320/IMG_2110.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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First, grate the bar of soap. I'm starting to think (after all the grating I've been doing lately!) that a small food processor may be in order. :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1iQ1bMBmpw/UEvbpmmRifI/AAAAAAAAAOc/N-Q8eBgPaGU/s1600/IMG_2112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1iQ1bMBmpw/UEvbpmmRifI/AAAAAAAAAOc/N-Q8eBgPaGU/s320/IMG_2112.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Be careful that you grate ONLY the soap. Don't grate your fingers, or finger nails. That would be a dumb idea.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1O2P2OYy0bI/UEvbxzl6noI/AAAAAAAAAOk/9R1L3QVdAnE/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1O2P2OYy0bI/UEvbxzl6noI/AAAAAAAAAOk/9R1L3QVdAnE/s320/IMG_2113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once the soap is all nicely grated, put it in a good sized pot and add 8 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of glycerin.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8VYd_esRTs/UEvb3wQodJI/AAAAAAAAAOs/BJkV33oQwaw/s1600/IMG_2117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E8VYd_esRTs/UEvb3wQodJI/AAAAAAAAAOs/BJkV33oQwaw/s320/IMG_2117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heat over a medium-low heat, stirring often, until all the soap is dissolved. Do not allow the water to boil as your soap may crystallize. Remove from heat and let it sit undisturbed for 10 - 12 hours. I just covered my pot and went to bed. :)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g2Z-fM2P1Lg/UEvb9WH9dCI/AAAAAAAAAPA/xm8P1GLgisQ/s1600/IMG_2124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g2Z-fM2P1Lg/UEvb9WH9dCI/AAAAAAAAAPA/xm8P1GLgisQ/s320/IMG_2124.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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This is what I found in the morning! :)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXyKbre3tlA/UEvcHimIQzI/AAAAAAAAAPI/pp6uEA_vdv8/s1600/IMG_2131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXyKbre3tlA/UEvcHimIQzI/AAAAAAAAAPI/pp6uEA_vdv8/s320/IMG_2131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Using a whisk or a hand mixer, whip up the soap. If you want you can add some extra water for a smoother consistency...I would do this especially if you plan to put it in a pump bottle to use as hand soap. I will warn you...this soap doesn't really lather, and it has a kind of slimy consistency. It was weird to me at first, but now I don't really notice it. :) I still come out clean, so I guess it's a success. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nAfLgUmb5i0/UEvchYczlzI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/2Of1S27rjno/s1600/IMG_2142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nAfLgUmb5i0/UEvchYczlzI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/2Of1S27rjno/s320/IMG_2142.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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And voila! Around $1 for half a gallon of body wash! :) Yay for savings!! </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-46670824928027195092012-09-03T16:21:00.000-07:002012-09-08T16:22:36.769-07:00Soap Scum Buster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I didn't take any pics of the ingredients, but this one is very simple. Our bathtub drain had been plugged up for awhile (I refuse to believe that long hair may have been the cause of this clog!!) so every time we used the shower the water was several inches deep by the time we were done...this made for a nasty soap scum ring around the bathtub as the water slowly, slowly receded. I finally got some drain cleaner and burned out the not-hair that was causing the slow drainage. Soon the water was swirling quickly down the drain, just as water should. However, once I got done being proud of myself for "fixing" this problem, I looked around at the soap scum coated bathtub....ICK!!!! I've tried scrubbing soap scum before, and even with cleaners it's not an easy job. So I quickly googled "homemade soap scum cleaner" and came up with several results...they all basically boiled down to this: 1 part of hot vinegar to 1 part of Dawn dish soap. Ok, I can handle that. I guess the key to this working is for the vinegar to go on hot. I microwaved half a cup of white vinegar for a minute or two, dumped it in an empty spray bottle, added half a cup of Dawn, shook it gently, and went to work. I thoroughly sprayed every inch of that icky bathtub. Most of the recipes I read said it needed to sit for several hours, so I went to finish some other cleaning projects. I came back after an hour or two, and decided to give it a go. I grabbed a clean rag, got it wet, and started scrubbing...well, wiping, really, since the scum all came right off!! It was so sweet!! I had to use Comet cleaner on a few spots to remove some navy blue paint scum (I made the bad decision to rinse out my paint brushes in the bathtub after using navy blue paint.....), but other than that I just used this cleaner on the soap scum ring and it came out beautifully clean!! Here are some before and after pics to prove it. :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2xEa1n_u-ik/UEvRD1RMqjI/AAAAAAAAANs/Hf_lN3mGtvg/s1600/IMG_2074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2xEa1n_u-ik/UEvRD1RMqjI/AAAAAAAAANs/Hf_lN3mGtvg/s320/IMG_2074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exhibit A: Icky Soap Scum Ring - EEEWWWWW!!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7M8c2wIqhuI/UEvRFJt2UXI/AAAAAAAAAN0/wPX6DOrbAd8/s1600/IMG_2075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7M8c2wIqhuI/UEvRFJt2UXI/AAAAAAAAAN0/wPX6DOrbAd8/s320/IMG_2075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exhibit B: Squeaky Clean and Shiny Shower - AAAAAHHHHH. :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zPYc6NUx1g/UEvRGauwLNI/AAAAAAAAAN8/d_lTnUJE5lo/s1600/IMG_2076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8zPYc6NUx1g/UEvRGauwLNI/AAAAAAAAAN8/d_lTnUJE5lo/s320/IMG_2076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I didn't get a before pic of this end of the tub, but believe me, it was every bit as bad or WORSE than the above pic. Now it's so clean!! Yay!! </div>
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Now, go bust some scum!! :)</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-60138904523706201512012-08-29T14:27:00.000-07:002012-12-03T14:49:32.053-08:00All-Purpose Cleaner - Better than Windex!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lately I've been on a homemade cleaners kick. :) It's fun, plus I feel better about the things I'm using when I clean my home, even if my house DOES smell faintly like vinegar. :) I have two toddlers, one of which puts EVERYTHING in her mouth....she has tried drinking toilet bowl cleaner not once, but TWICE. : \ Oh dear. So, not only are homemade cleaners cheaper than the overpriced, store bought ones, but in my case, if my daughter somehow scales the shelves to get to the cleaners (NOT unimaginable for her...), drinking this mixture would be vastly preferable to her downing TOILET BOWL CLEANER. ::SHUDDER:: This cleaner is cheap, easy, and made with things pretty much everyone has around their house anyway!</div>
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An added benefit to this cleaner is it cleans windows. It cleans windows WELL. It cleans windows BETTER than WINDEX!!!! I know, that's hard to imagine...I never would have believed it either. :) But it does. And that's pretty awesome. </div>
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I first found this recipe on <a href="http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/04/19/homemade-floor-all-purpose-cleaner/">this blog</a> and I originally wanted to try it as a floor cleaner (we have a LOT of laminate wood flooring, in case you hadn't noticed from all my pictures). However, I STILL haven't used it for that...but I did clean my whole bathroom with it a couple days ago. :) </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ck0meXq89c/UD5__1U45YI/AAAAAAAAAM0/x8PIFEsUKIg/s1600/IMG_2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Ck0meXq89c/UD5__1U45YI/AAAAAAAAAM0/x8PIFEsUKIg/s320/IMG_2170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's what you'll need:</div>
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- 1 cup water</div>
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- 1 cup vinegar</div>
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- 1 cup rubbing alcohol</div>
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- 2-3 drops of dish soap</div>
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- 10-20 drops essential oil </div>
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(optional...I used Aura Cacia Sweet Orange Oil).</div>
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**UPDATE** </div>
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In my last batch of this cleaner I decided to try something different and used Aura Cacia Lime Oil. I REALLLLLLY like it in this cleaner!!! It has such a fresh, clean, energizing scent, and I think it works really well with the vinegar smell.</div>
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- Fine mist spray bottle</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L0tUBJh3Z8s/UD6AHiZ4UJI/AAAAAAAAANE/fyJTVRW5LMQ/s1600/IMG_2179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L0tUBJh3Z8s/UD6AHiZ4UJI/AAAAAAAAANE/fyJTVRW5LMQ/s320/IMG_2179.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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Now this part is complicated so pay attention: add all the above ingredients to the spray bottle and shake to combine. :) Vary the amount of oil based on your preference...I can't remember how much I used for sure. It will still smell like vinegar, but the oil takes the edge off. It smelled so weird to me at first (after being so used to store-bought cleaners) but it doesn't bother me anymore. :) If you use essential oil it will float to the top, so shake it gently before each use. </div>
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As I mentioned, I used this to clean the bathroom the other day...countertop, sink, toilet, mirrors...yes, mirrors. Which bring me to the claim that it's better than Windex.</div>
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When I first sprayed it on the mirrors and made the first swipe with my paper towel, I felt my heart sink. It left this huge, greasy looking mess all over the mirror! Imagine my surprise when, after a couple seconds, the whole mess had vanished, leaving a perfectly clean, perfectly STREAK FREE surface!!! Streak free!!!! :) Yay! Maybe I'm just doing it wrong, but cleaning windows is NOT my favorite chore. It takes forever to get BOTH sides of the glass clean, without leaving streaks. I hate it, quite honestly. : P And with two toddlers and a sliding glass door, there is ALWAYS an abundance of sticky handprints on the windows...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cBHtNIK6ieY/UD6AOGFIIZI/AAAAAAAAANM/19XlpxQ9Bvg/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cBHtNIK6ieY/UD6AOGFIIZI/AAAAAAAAANM/19XlpxQ9Bvg/s320/IMG_2163.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exhibit A: Very sticky sliding glass patio door. It's very hard to take pictures of glass, so look at all the smudges in the picture and then imagine about 3x that many. :) It was BAD.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXIRGVHlocY/UD6AT7IAuHI/AAAAAAAAANU/dp3vFdvHbyo/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXIRGVHlocY/UD6AT7IAuHI/AAAAAAAAANU/dp3vFdvHbyo/s320/IMG_2166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exhibit B: Very clean and streak-free sliding glass patio door. :) I'm sorry for the glare in a few spots...believe me, it really IS clean!! :) The thing I love about this cleaner is you don't have to try get the streaks off! When you use it, just spray it on, rub off the dirty, sticky spots, and voila. You're done! The cleaner evaporates within seconds and leaves a beautifully clean surface. :)</div>
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My mom was over last night and I gave her a demonstration...the first thing she said was "Wow, it's BETTER than Windex!" :) It really is! Give it a try and I think you'll love it. ;)</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-45192650189808498912012-08-24T10:02:00.001-07:002012-08-24T10:02:13.274-07:00Using Cupboard Doors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've seen a lot of neat ideas lately of how people have been using the insides of their cupboard doors for all kinds of neat organizational ideas....pinboards, chalkboards, menu planning, spice racks, etc...just type "inside cupboard" into Pinterest and you'll see what I mean. :) It's a cool way to put otherwise wasted space to use. </div>
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(By the way, if anyone is interested in joining Pinterest, let me know and I can send you an invite!)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9aD7fjAHGo/UDesSSS1d3I/AAAAAAAAALE/7CIyWg740CA/s1600/IMG_2045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9aD7fjAHGo/UDesSSS1d3I/AAAAAAAAALE/7CIyWg740CA/s320/IMG_2045.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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My utensil drawer is a bit scary and I'm always having to dig stuff out to find what I need...I also keep my measuring cups in this drawer, and the handles like to poke up and snag the drawer so I can't open it...cute. I need to get this whole drawer more organized and functional, but for today I'm just starting by getting my measuring cups out of here. This will give me some more space in the drawer, plus make it easier to just grab the cup I need, instead of having to dig for it. :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7W_QZd0pS8/UDesO6qqPmI/AAAAAAAAAK8/us-TynibaQw/s1600/IMG_2044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7W_QZd0pS8/UDesO6qqPmI/AAAAAAAAAK8/us-TynibaQw/s320/IMG_2044.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I picked up a few packs of these Command hooks at Menards...I think they were $2.22 for a 3 pack this size. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nAsc7wdpwaI/UDesWFkyixI/AAAAAAAAALM/Owt_xODHCus/s1600/IMG_2047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nAsc7wdpwaI/UDesWFkyixI/AAAAAAAAALM/Owt_xODHCus/s320/IMG_2047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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To hang the hooks, start by peeling off the RED side of the adhesive strip.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Itqix5ILO4/UDesediJeYI/AAAAAAAAALU/D-xY8dOmu44/s1600/IMG_2048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Itqix5ILO4/UDesediJeYI/AAAAAAAAALU/D-xY8dOmu44/s320/IMG_2048.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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Press the exposed adhesive to the back of the hook.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G10ZX1vUAFY/UDeso7XmqsI/AAAAAAAAALc/S2R7HoztHOU/s1600/IMG_2049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G10ZX1vUAFY/UDeso7XmqsI/AAAAAAAAALc/S2R7HoztHOU/s320/IMG_2049.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now peel off the BLACK side.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHlEkXdozQw/UDesrM_jzBI/AAAAAAAAALk/4Oz0zDxhOKE/s1600/IMG_2050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHlEkXdozQw/UDesrM_jzBI/AAAAAAAAALk/4Oz0zDxhOKE/s320/IMG_2050.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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Press the hook against whatever surface you're adhering it too. Hold it firmly for a few seconds. If you're hanging anything that weighs very much, wait about an hour before hanging it up.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nIHzjkKw6jM/UDesvOaLI4I/AAAAAAAAALs/-r4QvEcGEGI/s1600/IMG_2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nIHzjkKw6jM/UDesvOaLI4I/AAAAAAAAALs/-r4QvEcGEGI/s320/IMG_2052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And voila! :) Now I can just grab the right measuring cup without having to dig for it...nice and neat. </div>
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You may have noticed that the white 1/4 cup wound up lower than the other white cups....those of you who know me well will know how MUCH that bothers me....lol. Oh well. :)</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-59170032300309336962012-08-15T10:52:00.000-07:002012-08-24T10:54:46.722-07:00Fabric Softener<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've been really liking my super cheap, <a href="http://keepcalmanddoityourself.blogspot.com/2012/07/laundry-soap.html">homemade laundry soap</a>, so when I came across a recipe for homemade fabric softener I decided to give it a try! I can't remember for sure how much I paid for the bottle of conditioner (it's been sitting around for awhile) but I think it was a little over $1 (it's the bigger size Suave makes), and the vinegar is also something that I've had around forever....so I can't really give you an exact cost-per-load on this one, but if I remember I'll try to double check the prices next time I'm in Walmart. :) Basically, it's very cheap to make. :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nd7jXsriNjA/UDe7y4eiKrI/AAAAAAAAAMU/gtzQN2h_3rs/s1600/IMG_1948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nd7jXsriNjA/UDe7y4eiKrI/AAAAAAAAAMU/gtzQN2h_3rs/s320/IMG_1948.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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What you'll need:</div>
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- Cheap conditioner (I used Suave Sweet Pea & Violet)</div>
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- White vinegar</div>
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- Hot water</div>
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- Container for storage (I reused my old fabric softener bottle after rinsing it out)</div>
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The original recipe is as follows, although I came up with my own variation. :)</div>
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- 2 cups conditioner</div>
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- 3 cups white vinegar</div>
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- 6 cups hot water</div>
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My jug wasn't quite big enough to hold this whole recipe, so I decide to half it. I was also a little concerned about it having too strong of a vinegar smell (I've never used vinegar in laundry although I know some people just use straight vinegar as a fabric softener and they say it doesn't smell at all) so I cut that down too. Here's the recipe I used:</div>
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- 1 cup conditioner</div>
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- 1/2 cup vinegar</div>
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- 3 cups hot water</div>
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Use a funnel to add the conditioner and hot water to the jug. Shake to mix. Add vinegar, and shake again. See? Easy peasy. :) It does settle some, so give it a gentle shake before using it.</div>
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I was surprised at how little you can smell the vinegar in this mixture, and you can't smell it on the finished laundry at ALL. I haven't noticed the laundry really smelling like this softener, but it does seem to be coming out soft, so I'm happy. :) </div>
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I've just been using a full cap of this per load (I use a top-loading washer that has a spot to put fabric softener, so I just fill that up) just like with store bought softener, but if you aren't using an old fabric softener bottle I'd say maybe use 1/3 - 1/2 cup per load.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-52812586558734797942012-08-06T13:49:00.001-07:002012-09-04T07:50:09.791-07:00Mozzarella Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We've been getting raw, organic milk from a local dairy recently, so I've been having fun coming up with new uses for the stuff we haven't used up by the end of the week. This weekend I tried mozzarella and it was surprisingly good, especially since it was my first attempt at cheese making. Ever. :)</div>
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You will need milk (I believe you can use any kind of milk....raw, store-bought, whole, skim, whatever), non-iodized salt (I used coarse sea salt), citric acid (found in the canning section), rennet (I used junket rennet tablets, found in the pudding/jello aisle...a few places online said that this will not work for making cheese, but there was a recipe in the box so I went back and forth between that recipe and one I found online using liquid rennet. I honestly don't know what I'm doing so I can't really enlighten you on the difference between junket and any other form of rennet...but hey, there's always Google if you're interested in learning more! :) ), a thermometer, and a cheesecloth or tea towel to strain out the whey. </div>
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I only made a half-batch since I only had half a gallon of milk to use up...most recipes call for a whole gallon of milk. I will give you the measurements I used, so double everything if you're using a whole gallon. </div>
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Warm 1/2 a gallon of milk over a gentle heat until it reaches 88°F. Stir often and be careful you don't scorch the milk. </div>
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Dissolve 1/2 tsp. of citric acid in 1/4 c. of cool water. Add to the warmed milk and stir thoroughly. </div>
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Dissolve 1/4 of a tablet of rennet into 1/8 c. cool water. (If you're not using junket, follow the directions that came with your rennet) Add to warmed milk and stir thoroughly. </div>
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After adding the citric acid and rennet, remove from heat and let the milk sit undisturbed for 1-2 hours, until a clean break is achieved. To test for a clean break, push a finger into the milk and lift up. If it has gelled enough to break cleanly as your finger is lifted, go to the next step. If the milk is still liquid or only semi-gelled and it sort of flows over your finger, let it sit until you can get a clean break. I think this took about 3-4 hours for me.</div>
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Once you have gotten the milk to the "clean break" stage, use a knife and cut the curd into a grid pattern. </div>
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Warm over low heat, stirring often, until the temperature reaches 108°F. Now the recipe I used said to hold the curd at this temperature for 35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. However, I dropped my thermometer into the pot and apparently it doesn't do well when it's full of whey. :( It was showing the temperature jumping up and down, switching between F and C, and just generally going berserk. The curds had stuck together into a big lump at that point and I decided it had gotten too hot and didn't want to burn it, so I pulled it out and went to the next step instead of waiting for 35 minutes. :) Worked ok for me...</div>
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I forgot to get a picture of this next step, but I'm sure you can figure it out. :) Set a strainer over a bowl or pitcher, lay your cheesecloth over the strainer, and pour the curds and whey through to separate them. If you want you can keep the whey to be made into ricotta cheese (which I will post about at a later date), otherwise just dump it and keep the curds. Let the curds sit in the cheesecloth and strainer for about 15 minutes to make sure they're thoroughly drained. </div>
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After it's drained, break up the curd and add 1/2 tsp. salt. Mix thoroughly.</div>
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Put the curd in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds. </div>
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When it comes out, pull and stretch it until it is shiney, smooth, and elastic. If it isn't the right consistency yet just microwave it for a few more seconds and try again. </div>
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Shape it however you want, and drop it into some ice water for a few minutes to harden. </div>
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There you have it! Homemade mozzarella! It tasted really good...we all liked it. :) I think it was maybe a bit drier than store-bought and it had more of a raw milk flavor, but it was good!</div>
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It has a nice, stringy texture. After we'd all tried some I grated the rest and stuck it in the freezer to see how it would do. :) It's still in there, but I'm guessing it'll come out like any other frozen mozzarella. :)</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-14871130344464314302012-08-01T16:43:00.000-07:002012-11-11T12:22:45.497-08:00Baby Wipes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For awhile now I've been thinking about giving homemade baby wipes a try, and this week I finally got around to it. :) It was very simple, and they work well! I used them on my toddler and she told me they smell really good, and that they don't hurt like the other (store-bought) wipes...I guess whatever is in regular wipes stings a little bit. :(</div>
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To make your own baby wipes you will need a roll of good quality paper towels (I used Bounty, but I've heard that Viva works well too), baby wash (I used Parent's Choice with Lavender), baby oil (I used Johnson's), baby lotion (this is optional. I used Johnson's Bedtime Lotion....it smells amazing!!), water, and a container with a good seal.</div>
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**UPDATE**</div>
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Since I've learned more about the bad health effects petroleum products can have on your health, and THEN learned that baby oil is a petroleum product, I've switched from using baby oil to sweet almond oil in my wipes. :)</div>
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First, cut the roll of paper towels in half using a sharp knife. Apparently mine wasn't quite sharp enough as it didn't make a very pretty cut....oh well. :) It works.</div>
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Put 2 cups of warm water in your container, then add 2 tablespoons of baby oil, 2.5 tablespoons of baby wash, and 1.5 tablespoons of baby lotion. Put the lid on and shake to stir. </div>
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(I think I wound up with a bit too much liquid and it's a little sudsier than I like, so I think I'll play around with the amounts next time I make a batch, but for now, this is the recipe I came up with after reading several online.)</div>
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Put one of the halves of the paper towel roll into the container and seal the lid. After the bottom half was wet I turned it upside down to moisten the other half. </div>
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Once your roll is wet through, remove the lid and gently pull out the cardboard tube from the center of the roll. Pull up the first wipe from the inside of the roll, and you're done! :)</div>
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I've been buying Huggies wipes on Amazon.com using the Amazon Mom program (20% discount plus free shipping) and have been very happy with the price I was paying...about $0.03 per wipe. However, these homemade wipes are SOOOO much cheaper!! I bought a 6 pack of Bounty paper towel rolls for about $5.97 at Walmart...6 rolls should make about 1,700 wipes, so that works out to be about $0.003 per wipe (plus the cost of the wash, lotion, and oil, but you use so little of those that I don't think it would add much to the price. Everything I used was stuff I already had on hand so I'm not exactly sure what the prices would be). Wow! That's a pretty big difference when you use as many wipes as we do! Plus the combination of ingredients I used made some pretty awesome smelling wipes....yay! :)</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-83286620200977529202012-07-24T11:54:00.000-07:002012-07-25T08:30:46.324-07:00Magnetic Spice Rack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Awhile ago I found this <a href="http://pennywisecook.com/magnetic-spice-rack-diy/">magnetic spice rack tutorial</a> on Pinterest and really wanted to try it!! :) </div>
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My original plan was to mount a piece of aluminum or stainless steel to the wall between the microwave and the window. When I told Daniel what I was planning and asked him to help me find a piece of metal, he suggested I just use the side of the microwave instead. Genius! :) Now why didn't I think of that....</div>
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My messy spice drawer has been really needing some help....plus it's hard to find anything since most of these containers are the small ones, and they're all stacked on top of each other....I have to dig out practically everything to find what I'm looking for...</div>
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I bought my tins <a href="http://www.specialtybottle.com/tinsquaredeepcontainer4ozwcleartopcover.aspx">online here</a>, since I couldn't find what I wanted locally. I printed up labels for each tin, and taped them to the backs of the containers (since they're just taped on I can easily change what I have in each tin if I ever want to). </div>
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Next I glued a strong magnet to the back of each tin. I started by hot gluing them on, but that made the tins sit at a funny angle when they were on the microwave, so I wound up just using super glue. :)</div>
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Almost done! :) </div>
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And there it is!! I love how pretty all the colors are, PLUS it's freed up some much needed storage space.<br />
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This is how the backs of the tins look.</div>
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I actually think I like this look even better than the original idea of a piece of metal to stick the tins to! At least for my kitchen. :) If you don't have an available side of your microwave you could do this on the side of a fridge too.</div>
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I moved my bigger spice containers into the newly emptied drawer, which in turn allowed me to shuffle some other things around in the cupboard in which they formerly resided.....so this new spice rack has left all of my cupboards a little more organized and a little less crowded. :) Yay!</div>
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<br /></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-65392325757351467002012-07-23T15:15:00.000-07:002012-07-23T15:18:31.102-07:00Laundry Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently got a chance to try another DIY project I've had on my list for awhile...laundry soap!! :) It's pretty simple and inexpensive. The laundry soap has to sit overnight so I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I will let you know how it works once I try it! Here's the recipe if any of you want to try it yourself.</div>
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Hot Water</div>
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1 bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap</div>
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1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOT regular baking soda!!)</div>
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1 cup (1/2 cup in the original recipe) Mule Team Borax</div>
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5 gallon bucket and lid</div>
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1 gallon container</div>
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It's the same recipe the Duggars use, only I added an extra half cup of borax since we have hard water. I found all the ingredients in the laundry section at Walmart. I threw away my receipt so I can't remember the exact amounts I paid, but I can get pretty close...the Fels-Naptha bar was $0.97, and the washing soda and borax were each a little over $3 per box. I also bought the 5 gallon bucket and lid at Walmart for $1.17. I measured out all of the soda and borax in the boxes to see exactly how much each load cost....1 box of washing soda will make 6 batches of soap, and 1 box of borax will make 9.5 batches of soap (or 19 if you only use 1/2 cup). Since I couldn't remember the exact amounts I just got as close as I could....I figured it costs just under $2 to make one batch (which winds up being 10 gallons) of soap, and if you use 5/8 cups of soap per load of laundry it should wash 256 loads of laundry!! The soap for each load should only cost about $0.007 (yes, that IS less than $0.01 per load)!!!! SWEET!!! :) MUCH cheaper than store-bought!!!</div>
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First, grate the bar of Fels-Naptha using the largest holes on a cheese grater. Be careful not to grate your fingers....and since this looks for all the world like cheddar cheese and you're using a cheese grater, make SURE your little one (who LOVES cheese!!!) does NOT eat it!!! :) We had a close call but the smell slowed her down. Haha. :)</div>
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Put 4 cups of hot water into a pan and add the grated soap. </div>
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Cook over medium heat, stirring. I read somewhere not to boil it because if you do it may crystallize. Cook until all the soap is dissolved so you don't wind up with lumps in your finished product. I had a little helper. :)</div>
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By the time all the soap is dissolved it will be a little foamy.</div>
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Fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water. Add the cooked soap, washing soda, and borax. Stir until everything is dissolved and smooth. Then fill the bucket to the top with hot water (I had already taken some out when I took this picture). Put the lid on the bucket and let it sit overnight...it should thicken/gel some.</div>
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When you're ready to use it (mine hasn't had time to gel since I just did it this morning) put 8 cups of the soap into your 1 gallon container (I bought a gallon of orange juice awhile back because it came in the perfect container for my soap project!! :) and then add 8 cups of water (this is where you wind up with 10 gallons....you only make 5 gallons of the soap, but when you use it you put half soap and half water in your container). It will separate, so shake the jug well before each use. :)</div>
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**UPDATE**</div>
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After using the laundry soap on one of the toughest loads I could think of (dirty "farmer" jeans and kitchen towels!! Haha...) I am very happy with how it worked!! The clothes really didn't smell (good or bad) at all when they were done but I usually use a good smelling fabric softener so it doesn't matter if the soap makes the clothes smell good or not. Everything came out clean and soft! One of the projects on my "to try" list is homemade fabric softener...but I want to use up the store-bought stuff I have first. :) If you're worried that this soap won't be strong enough, I would just suggest using it without add the extra 5 gallons of water (just fill up your jug from the 5-gallon bucket, and don't add the extra water). Anyway, just wanted to let you know how the soap performed! </div>
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******</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-16035235965059281412012-07-22T14:55:00.000-07:002012-07-23T14:57:03.521-07:00Giant Photo Prints<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A recent project of mine was turning our family picture into a large piece of wall art since we have such big walls!! Large prints are hundreds of dollars, which doesn't work for me. :) I recently discovered that you can order "engineering prints" from the office stores! Staples was the cheapest I saw...$1.99 for an 18"x 24", $2.99 for a 24"x 36", and $4.99 for a 36"x 48". I went with the 36"x 48." These only come in black and white, but since I LOVE black and white that wasn't a big deal. :) If you live near a Staples store, you can pick up your order in the store for free. Otherwise you can have it shipped for $9.95...still not a bad price. :) You will also need something to paste your picture onto (since it just comes printed on heavy paper...I bought a big, black, poster-board type thing from Hobby Lobby on sale for $6), and some spray glue (the blog I got the idea from said that mod podge glue will NOT work...it's too wet and wrinkles the paper). Make sure you use some sort of spray glue!! :) </div>
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My poster board and print...my print had been rolled up for several days by the time I got around to doing this project and it didn't want to lie flat...I just left it on the floor for awhile with some books on the corners. :)</div>
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Trim off any unprinted, white areas on your print. Spray an even layer of glue all over your poster board. Gently spread your print over the glue (this is a job where you really need TWO people....but I didn't realize that until it was too late. :) I managed, but it would have been MUCH easier with another person!!). </div>
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My print was a little longer than the biggest piece of poster board I could find, so I wrapped the extra around the back of the poster board and glued it in place. I need to attach some loops to hang it by, but I haven't done this yet. I'm thinking I'll just make some wire or string loops and tape them on. :)</div>
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Voila!! All done...for around $11. :)</div>
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After a few days my print developed a lot of bubbles and wrinkles, which I think must have been caused by me doing this project alone...to get the print laid onto the poster board evenly, I kept having to pull it loose from the glue and move it a little. I want to try this again with 2 people and see if that eliminates the wrinkles. :)</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-883143452132939402012-07-21T14:24:00.000-07:002012-07-23T18:01:50.979-07:00Glass Etching Photo-Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love learning new skills, and thanks to Pinterest I’ve been finding lots of new things to try lately! One of my most recent attempts was learning to etch glass. I kept seeing all these cool pictures on Pinterest of different pieces of glass that people had etched so beautifully, and I faithfully pinned them to my “DIY Ideas” board. However, I figured it was something that was probably either challenging, time consuming, expensive, or all of the above, so I never really looked into what it took. One day I finally decided to see what it was all about. I couldn’t believe how simple it was! The next day I made a trip to Hobby Lobby for supplies, and set about this new experiment. My first try was a huge success!! I had a glass bottle (actually an empty salad dressing bottle) that I always keep full of olive oil, so I etched “Olive Oil” onto the side. I LOVED it!!! It was so pretty and looked so professional. I spent hours after that walking around my house looking at everything glass I could find, imagining all the possibilities…cups, mugs, plates, candlesticks, windows, mirrors, you name it! Fortunately my common sense kicked in and I didn’t go crazy with the etching. ☺ However, I do REALLY enjoy it, and want to help you see how easy it really is. </div>
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If I can do it, so can you!! ☺</div>
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Here are the supplies you will need: Something glass to etch, a paper pattern of what you want to etch (for words/names I just find a font I like in Microsoft Word, and print it out on regular printer paper. If you don’t have any fonts you like, just search online for free font download sites and pick a font you do like. I do this often!!), clear contact paper (I picked up a roll at Walmart), an X-Acto knife or something similar, a pair of scissors, a foam brush, and glass etching cream (the brand I use is Armour Etch and I got it at Hobby Lobby…it’s a bit expensive - $19.99 for a 10oz bottle - but I printed a 40% off coupon off of Hobby Lobby’s website, and you CAN reuse this cream, so if you want to do a lot of projects it’s really not too bad).</div>
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For this tutorial I'll be etching a last name on the side of a glass bread pan. One of my early projects was to put my name on the side of my glass 9x13” pan…at our church we have a potluck lunch every Sunday and we also bring meals to families with new babies, so my pans are out and about. Often! ☺ I’ve always written my name on the bottom of the pan with a marker, but it rubs off eventually. This is a permanent (and much classier!) alternative! I've also done sets of glass pans with a couple's last name etched on them as wedding gifts. I would like to add here that on the bottle of etching cream I use it says it will not etch some Pyrex. However, I’ve done a couple of Pyrex pans with great results. Maybe yours are different than the ones I worked with, so just be aware of that. ☺ </div>
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Cut your pattern (in
this case, the last name I'll be etching) out of your sheet of paper, and cut out 2 slightly
larger pieces of contact paper. Bigger is better when it comes to cutting out
the contact paper, because if you don’t leave enough space around your stencil
it’s really easy to get cream off it and onto the glass and leave spots where
you don’t want them. Not that I would know or anything.</div>
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Peel the paper backing off of one piece of contact paper and apply it to your glass piece. Be careful to get it on smoothly. Work out any bubbles or wrinkles in this bottom layer, as they can mess up your pattern later on. </div>
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Lay your pattern on the contact paper-covered glass, and move it around until it’s where you want your etching. Peel the paper backing off the second piece of contact paper, and use it to hold the paper pattern in place on the glass (I’m sorry about the smudges on my pattern…when I was peeling the backing off the 2nd piece of contact paper it got away from me and stuck to the pattern where I didn’t want it. When I peeled it off some of the ink came up too ☺ )</div>
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Now carefully use your X-Acto knife to cut around each edge of the pattern. Press firmly enough to get through your 3 layers, but not so hard that your scratch the glass or break the tip off your knife. ☺ This is the longest and most painstaking part of the process. Just take it slow and easy…I’ve found it’s easier to do letters like “o” or “p” or any that have a closed circle by cutting out the middle first, and THEN cutting around the outside of the letter. </div>
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This is after I finished cutting around all the letters! Obviously if you use a fancier font it’s going to be a little more complicated to cut out vs. just using a blockier font, but I like the way the end product looks when I use a fancy font so I’m willing to spend a little more time working on it. ☺</div>
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Gently peel off the top layer of contact paper and your paper pattern. I made the mistake once of using packing tape to hold down my pattern, and after about 2 hours of painstakingly cutting out LOTS of little swirls and curls (it was a very complicated project!!) I pulled off the packing tape and the bottom layer of contact paper came up with it. ☹ Talk about discouraging!! </div>
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Gently peel off the pattern you’ve cut out of the bottom layer of contact paper. Go slowly and carefully to make sure any small pieces that need to stay on the glass (the inside of the letter “o” for instance) don’t come off with the rest of the letter.</div>
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I use the tip of my X-Acto knife to help peel up the contact paper that needs to come off, and then pull it off gently with my fingers. </div>
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After you’ve peeled off everything you cut out, you’re left with a nice stencil for your etching cream!! Check it carefully to make sure all the cut edges are firmly pressed down to the glass so the cream won’t get under them and spoil your design. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KxirIqW9NTc/UA2jrCz_epI/AAAAAAAAACY/_cDl6tYoDfI/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KxirIqW9NTc/UA2jrCz_epI/AAAAAAAAACY/_cDl6tYoDfI/s320/12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I’d like to point out that this etching cream is NOT something to handle carelessly!!! Just take a second and read the warnings on the bottle. ☺ Please, please, PLEASE use caution when handling this cream!!! Don’t get it on anything you don’t want etched, including YOURSELF!!</div>
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Use the foam brush to CAREFULLY apply the etching cream to the contact paper stencil. Make sure each letter is completely covered with a fair amount of cream. </div>
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Once you have your stencil fully covered, let it sit for a few minutes. When I first started I let it sit for 10 minutes, but as I’ve gone on the time has gotten shorter and shorter and I honestly don’t see any difference between the things that sat for 10 minutes and the things that sat for 3. (I’d like to point out that the white stuff on the floor is just dried flakes that fell off the lid of the etching cream. No damage was done ☺ )</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-czlNSblRof0/UA2lBYo9EdI/AAAAAAAAAC0/F2ZJK_k4KTs/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-czlNSblRof0/UA2lBYo9EdI/AAAAAAAAAC0/F2ZJK_k4KTs/s320/15.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I heard that you can reuse etching cream, and since it was rather pricey I decided to try it. It’s worked just as well for me! Use the foam brush to carefully wipe the majority of the cream off the glass and scrape it back into the bottle. </div>
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Once you finish wiping off most of the cream, run the whole thing under warm water until all the cream is gone. Dry with a soft cloth. </div>
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Now peel off that last layer of contact paper and you’re done!!! Make sure to get all the little pieces like the insides of the letters…they like to stay when the bigger piece of contact paper comes off. ☺</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Voila! Etched glass!! </span></div>
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This process is PERMANENT so make sure you spell all words correctly and take the time to make sure everything is exactly the way you want it before you apply the etching cream. Now, go enjoy your new skill!!!</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4191762788366268078.post-15098731542381691052012-07-20T12:02:00.000-07:002012-07-23T12:03:10.888-07:00Dandelion Jelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm new to canning and enjoy discovering new things that most people wouldn't even think of canning! Maybe this isn't true where you live, but around here one of the first flowers to arrive in the spring is the dandelion! It's also one of the last flowers to die in the fall....even after my husband tries all summer to kill them. :) Dandelions are basically just a weed and a nuisance to most people, but they really do have some good, edible qualities! I remember drinking lots of dandelion root tea when I was younger. :) Another fun use is making dandelion jelly....just make sure you don't do this if your yard has been sprayed for weeds! You will need:</div>
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2 heaping cups of dandelion flowers (just the heads)</div>
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2 cups of boiling water</div>
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4 cups of sugar</div>
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1/4 cup of lemon juice</div>
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1 teaspoon of butter (optional)</div>
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3 oz of liquid pectin</div>
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5 half-pint jars with lids & rings</div>
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How to make Dandelion Jelly</h3>
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Pick your flowers (my daughter loved helping with this step!!) and place them in a clean bowl (I would recommend picking thru them for stray dog hairs, bugs, dead leaves, etc.).</div>
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Pour the boiling water over the flowers, cover, and let sit for at least 2 hours.</div>
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After letting the flowers steep for about an 2 hours (or overnight, if you're more patient than I am!), pour them through a strainer to separate the flowers from the "juice."</div>
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Pour the "juice" into a large pot (you probably don't need one THIS big, but after having other jams/jellies boil over onto my stove I'm extra cautious!) and whisk in the sugar. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the lemon juice. I added about a teaspoon of butter to help keep down the foam as well.</div>
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While the liquid is heating, prepare your jars (cleaned and sterilized), heat your lids (lids ONLY, not the rings) in a pan of hot water, and get out your canning funnel and a clean, damp cloth.</div>
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Bring the liquid to a roiling boil (a boil that can't be stirred down). Stir in the pectin, and boil for 5 minutes. When you're done the jelly will be VERY hot and runny...that's ok, it will set once it's cooled in the jars. :)</div>
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Remove jelly from heat and begin filling jars, leaving about 1/2" of space in the top of the jar ("headroom" for those of you who know what you're doing! :) ).</div>
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After all the jars are filled, begin putting on the lids, using the damp rag to clean the rim of each jar before adding a hot lid. Put on the rings and tighten them firmly.</div>
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Flip the jars upside-down for 5-10 minutes, or process the jars right-side up in a water bath (a pot of boiling water) for about 10 minutes. I just flipped my jars, but it might be better to do the water bath since I had a couple that didn't seal from this batch.</div>
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Flip the jars right-side up (or remove from water bath) and let them sit until they seal (the lids "pop") and cool. Store any that don't seal in the fridge, and keep the rest in a cool, dark place.</div>
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And there you have it! Dandelion jelly....it has a delicate, honey-like flavor, and is a very pretty golden color. :) This recipe makes about 5 half-pints. Have fun!</div>
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<br /></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17927153317934594429noreply@blogger.com