Babassu Oil

I've been looking into substituting some of the oils I use for other oils that would offer more skin care benefits and enhance the quality of my products. I've also been looking at creating products that contain more tropical ingredients because I want to tie everything into the name of my company.

One of the oils I came across is called babassu oil (Orbignya martiana). It comes from a palm tree in Brazil and can be used in place of palm or coconut oil in cosmetics. I like that it can be used in place of palm oil in soap, but I will admit, I haven't tried that yet. According to what I've found, babassu oil is good for all skin types. It is can be used on dry/damaged, mature, and even oily skin! It is so versatile that people are using it in all of their products.

I decided to try it in a lip balm. I substituted the hydrogenated soybean oil for babassu oil and I LOVE the feel of the lip balm. Soybean oil makes a good lip balm, but I have found that many of my customers were questioning whether it was non-GMO soybean (I was assured by the supplier that it was). Soybean is a good oil for normal skin, but doesn't offer that many extra skin care benefits. It really is a good, skin-softening oil, but I want to find some that are better.

The lip balm with the babassu oil has the same consistency, which I really like. It goes on just as smooth and stays on for a long time. However, my lips really do feel softer when I'm using that one! I use several different ones throughout the day, so I notice the slight difference between the new formula and the old.

The only lip balms currently made with babassu oil are my Orange Cream lip balms, but as I make new batches of the others, I will be substituting babassu oil for the soybean oil!

I can't wait to see how it feels in lotion!

Whirlwind Week

You may have noticed that I have not posted anything all week. I didn't even get my Declutter Challenge done last week! I don't think I'm going to get this week's done either :(

Last week was pretty packed.

Wednesday was my normal market day from 3-7 and I'm usually wiped out afterwards anyway. But, I also received a call letting me know that my 97 year old great-grandmother had passed away. It was hard and very sad, but she was 97. She outlived my grandmother by 30 years, her husband by 20 years, my mother by 15 years, another daughter by a year, and several other children and grandchildren by many, many years. She is at peace.

Thursday, we had a going away party for the middle school aide. She found a job teaching math and science. We'll miss her, but I'm really happy for her too.

Friday was date night and it was a much needed time.

Saturday was my market from 9-1. When I got home, I took a short nap and then packed so we could head to Lubbock for my grandmother's funeral. We got to Lubbock around 3 on Sunday morning. I usually do my decluttering on Saturday or Sunday, so it didn't happen last week.

Sunday we spent with my dad and stepmom and they got lots of Hayden time.

Monday was my grandmother's funeral in Muleshoe, TX. We had to leave around 11 to get there for lunch before the services. Services ended around 4 and then we stayed to visit. We left Muleshoe around 6. We got to Colorado Springs around 2 Tuesday morning.

Tuesday was my first day back for teacher inservice, for which I was an hour late because Hayden and I fell back to sleep. I went to bed around 7 Tuesday night. I was a tired puppy.

Wednesday was the first chance I got to get on my computer, so I did a few things, but my brain was still wiped out.

Thursday was more of the same at school. BUT, my turtle tank was stinky! So, I spent some time cleaning it. We went back up to school Thursday night to clean out the filter and the tank because Open House was Friday and I didn't want parents coming in to a stinky room. We got everything cleaned (I bought a nice new vacuum for the gravel) and the filter hooked back up. We plugged it in and it chugged for a few minutes and died. It was old and turtles are hard on filters, but did it have to die AFTER we cleaned it?

Friday was a long day because of Open House. I enjoy meeting my new students, but it makes for a long day. Then, some of us went out afterwards :)

Saturday was a busy morning filled with getting new school supplies, our awesome board gave us gift cards to help us out, and a few new clothes. Yesterday afternoon, we went to the zoo because I needed a break. I was productive last night...I balanced the checkbook and paid bills. I hear they like it when you do that :) So, no decluttering.

Today, we hiked Seven Bridges, which was really pretty and Hayden had fun in the water at the top. But, we all needed a nap when we got home. This afternoon, I went to school because I was nowhere near ready for the first day of school, but now I am. I got home just in time for dinner and then I played with a toddler. So, I didn't declutter today either, but I made my little guy giggle right up until bedtime, so I'm okay with that.

The first couple of weeks of school are usually the craziest, so please bear with me. I may be absent more than usual.

Declutter Challenge: Week 29

I recently made a new jewelry holder based on several I found online, but I'm not sharing that just yet because I'm going to share its transformation later. I decided to replace my old and boring jewelry cabinet with something updated and fun. As I pulled my jewelry, I also decided that I should go through it and get rid of what I don't wear anymore.

See...old and boring

I got rid of anything that I hadn't worn in the last year. That really took care of a lot of my jewelry. I got rid of earrings that I've had since high school, but had been saving because they were sentimental. I got rid of a cheap ring I bought in Australia so many years ago, it was cute, but I remember the trip fine without the ring. It felt good to go through and declutter my jewelry collection. I donated it and there were some pretty pieces in there, so maybe someone else will find something they love and enjoy it. I enjoy that my new jewelry holder is starting off just a little neater!

Bye bye!

Why did you get rid of this week?

Scent of Serenity

I recently hit upon a lavender vanilla blend that I just adore. It was hard to get them to blend just right.

At first, my lavender was overpowering or my vanilla was too sweet. I just couldn't get that delicious blend of herbal, yet sweet that I was looking for. I was using Hungarian lavender and Bramble Berry's vanilla select. I love the vanilla select because it is deeper and richer than most vanilla. But, I still couldn't get it right.

I ended up using 3 different vanillas, the barest hint of a sweeter sandalwood fo, and a fair amount of lavender. And I must say that I'm quite happy with the results!

First, I called it Lavender Vanilla Bliss. It really is a blissful scent :) However, that seemed like a very long name and I'm all about simplicity. So, I decided to change the name to Serenity. I thought it was pretty appropriate because it smells wonderful!

I currently have used Serenity to make lotion, soap (bar and liquid), and fizzing tub treats and I am truly loving the scent! There is just something about lavender and vanilla that makes everything better.

What is your favorite scent to blend with lavender?

DIY Carrot Mask

Carrots are delicious and great for you! They are high in beta-carotene (vitamin A), they also contain vitamin C and potassium. When I was younger, my doctor always told me to eat lots of carrots because they were good for my eyes. He actually meant eye health, not eyesight; I was not happy with my doctor when I had to start wearing glasses. I still ate my carrots though.

Consuming carrots or fresh carrot juice is good for your skin. It helps to keep your skin moisturized really deep down, which keeps your outer skin looking fresher and fuller. Using carrots on your face is good for your skin too. Vitamin A is a great antioxidant, which means it destroys those pesky free radicals that cause wrinkles (and crinkles), eczema (some forms), and dermatitis. It also helps to heal sun damage and even skin tone. Carrot juice is also good for blemishes and scars! The list goes on, but I really wanted to share a fun mask with you, not all the benefits of carrots.

Photo by: John Loo

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp pureed carrots-you can lightly steam and puree your own or use a jar of baby food (carrots and water only!)
• 1 tbsp yogurt 
• Optional ingredients: 1/2 tbsp finely ground oatmeal or kaolin clay

Directions:

1. Mix all your ingredients together. You can adjust the amounts to achieve a consistency that you like. If you are omitting the oatmeal/clay the mask will be a little runny.
2. Spread evenly over clean skin. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
3. Rinse well with warm water. You can wash again or just rinse really well. Follow with your favorite toner and moisturizer. 

This mask can easily be repeated 1-2 times per week. If you have dry skin, you can also add a drop or two of olive oil and your skin will love you. You can use carrot juice in this recipe, but you would need to increase the amount of clay.

Don't not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Tub Treats vs. Bath Bombs

The other day someone suggested I start making bath bombs. I replied that I don't make bath bombs, but I do make fizzing tub treats. They replied that I should still try to make bath bombs. It occurred to me that they probably don't know what fizzing tub treats are!

Fizzing tub treats are similar to bath bombs. They are made with similar ingredients that will soften skin while you soak. They both fizz when dropped in your bath water. Both can be scented to give you an aromatic experience in the tub.

Fizzing tub treats are conveniently packaged. You get 6 individual cubes, so you can chose what to add to your bath!

That's great, but what is the difference? Bath bombs are usually held together by spritzing the powders with witch hazel and then letting them dry, some crafters do add butters or oils for added skincare benefits. Fizzing tub treats are held together using butters and oils that harden. Bath bombs are made by packing the moist powders in a mold and then removing. My tub treats are packed in a 6 cavity mold and left there, the keeps all 6 tub treats together until you are ready to use. Bath bombs are often sold individually and generally the entire thing is used at the same time (some can be carefully broken apart for multiple uses). Tub treats are packaged in sets of six small cubes, so you can easily decide how many to use in a bath. Plus, the tub treats are easy to store because they are conveniently packaged in a clamshell container with a lid. Like bath bombs they should be stored in a cool, dry location like a linen closet; the bathroom can be too moist and cause your tub treats or bath bombs to develop fizzing warts.

What do you like to add to your bath?

Toddler Play Room

In May, I posted about our new kid-friendly downstairs area. We cleaned, painted, rearranged, and got rid of a lot of stuff (read more here). Hayden loves his large play area and I love that there really isn't much for him to hurt himself on. He doesn't climb on the shelves because he has a blanket box and table to climb on. He can't get into anything he shouldn't except dvd's and I can deal with that. What I didn't like was how big and empty the walls were!

Toddlers need a stimulating environment and there is just something about big white walls that is un-stimulating. We were trying to decide what to do and I found the perfect solution at Joann's when I was perusing the education section (hey, I'm a teacher, I can't help it). For $10, I got a punch-out set for colors and shapes. That's right, $10 and it pretty much covers up both empty walls.

I could probably fit more, but everything had to be high enough to be out of reach. Hayden loved helping me put everything up and he really does enjoying going through the colors and shapes. Currently, everything is yellow, but he'll get it. Of all the shapes, octagon is the one he knows, but I think he just likes saying it :)

I will probably do letters and numbers, but for those, I want him to help paint hangings. So, that is a bit further down the road.

What did you put up for your kids to add an educational element to their room?