Turmeric Chickpea Mask

A Turmeric Mask is another mask that's good for your face.

Turmeric is a spice used in cooking, Ayurvedic medicine and beauty treatments which is where I learned about it.

It's good to keep skin clean, clear of acne, blemishes and breakout and good to use when hormones are in flux.  It helps with skin elasticity and helps with maturing skin.

There are SEVERAL options for a tumeric mask you can do...

Turmeric and chickpea masks are also good to use on a regular basis if you want to keep those tiny baby hairs off your face.  This only works IF it's used on a regular basis.  This only works on those tiny baby hairs on your face, not your eyebrows or upper lip hairs.  So don't worry, your eyebrows won't fall off.  ;)

Turmeric and Honey mask is good for a soothing mask if you just want a relaxing mask on a regular basis but don't want to deal with the clumpy mess of the chickpea flour.  It's a little less of a mess and has the same effect pretty much but one less ingredient to deal with.

Turmeric and yogurt mask is another option instead of mixing with milk.

Turmeric and coconut water is a different option instead of milk or yogurt.

As you can see, there are different options and routes you can go and also depending upon what you have in your kitchen.  I urge you to do your own research as well and see what works for you.

I personally have spent about a year now looking into ayurvedic medicine and beauty practices and still am learning a lot about it.

I like to alternate using my turmeric/chickpea mask with my bentonite clay mask weekly and I like to use it before doing my threading on my eyebrows before using my serum.  Because good luck pulling eyebrow hair out when you moisturize first, I learned that the hard way.

What's threading?  That's another topic I can't explain in a blog, but youtube taught me how to do it and it can teach you too!  Go learn how to do it if you so desire.  It took me months to perfect it.  I almost never screw it up now, almost.. ^_6

What do we Need?!

Because you love my ingredient pictures, you know you do.

Turmeric:  You can find it in the spice aisle!  But honestly I recommend finding a good Indian store nearby and getting it from there, they have the best quality.  Support your local small businesses.  The spice kind, like the kind I use here, is not a good quality.

Honey: Optional, and great for your skin.  I use raw and organic but you can use what you like.

Chickpea Powder:  Also known as Garbanzo Bean Powder, I get Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour, it works pretty well.

Milk:  You're going to want to dilute your mixture.  You can use milk, coconut water, or yogurt.  I'm lactose intolerant so I normally use soymilk which also works great!

Let's Get Started!! ^_^

I eyeball the ratios, y'all know this by now, so I'll guesstimate this..

I put about 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of chickpea powder and 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric powder.  Too much turmeric powder and it might be too harsh on your skin.

Add your liquid in small amounts.  If you add too much and it gets soupy just add more chickpea powder to get a peanut butter consistency.  You want a creamy consistency.  One that makes good peaks.  You don't want this dripping off your face, it stains everything!  Wear clothes you don't care about.  Or wear a trash bag, whichever.

Look at that gorgeous pea yellow color, yum yum :p

An observation before applying to your face!!

Don't try this for the first time before going on a date!  Or going to work!  Or appearing in public!!  you get the idea....

Turmeric is staining!!  And until you know how your complexion will take to this I suggest you wait and see...

I am of a paler complexion.  Not because I am emo child and avoid the sun but I've always have a hard time getting burnt before I tan and finding an ivory white enough to match for foundation before I gave up on makeup.  It's gotten better with age but I'm still pale.  And for some reason my skin stains badly.

Until I figured out this recipe and added the milk to dilute it I used to do a straight mix of turmeric to honey and I did the mask and my face was so yellow for 3 days, I was mortified.  No joke.  I looked like a sunshine yellow crayon.  It was awful.  Thank batman it was a 3 day weekend and I was anti social.  I exfoliated like there was no tomorrow with baking soda and lemon juice until I scrubbed it off.

You know you appreciate my personal tales of warning and backstory.  See I had a point.

DO NOT apply turmeric directly to your face without diluting it with something like yogurt or milk.  You've been warned...

Now for application!!

If you did it right should be a weird yellow baby food yellow color and about the same consistency.  Yum right?!  Lol, sounds great.  You're gonna put it on your face.  It can be pretty soothing, and cooling, especially if you have irritated skin.  If I have a sunburn I'll skip it but it helps when i'm having a hormone flux, because we all love those don't we.

Face mask picture!  You're welcome!  You only get a partial pic, because it was just too gross..

Depending on the effect you want with this mask determines how long you leave it on and how you take the mask off.  

For cleansing..

If you just want to cleanse your face and get a soothing, anti-aging and/or anti-breakout effect then apply the mask while avoiding your eyes and leave it on for 10-15 minutes.  Wash off with warm water and then apply cool water and you can tone your face (optional) and apply your moisturizer.

If you're having a bad breakout I think applying aloe vera may be helpful to you.  Pure aloe vera though.  Don't use aloe vera that's been mixed with other things like chemicals or additives.  A lot of places sell aloe vera plants and you can find good resources that tell you how to harvest the plant properly to get the gel inside the plant.

A good resource I've found for aloe vera is Mountain Rose Herbs

For cleansing and hair removal..

This is a bit more complicated but once you've done it it's easy to remember.  For clarification again this removes those tiny baby hairs on your face, not the eyebrow or upper lip hairs.  Those tougher hairs are going to require tougher methods like waxing, epilation, threading, etc...

If you're aiming for the cleansing, anti breakout, anti aging on top of face hair removal effect then you're going to apply the mask by rubbing it on your face in a circular manner as you apply it on your face while avoiding your eyes.  No worries if you get it near your eyebrows, it won't remove that kind of hair.  You're going to allow the turmeric mask to dry completely, it'll get pretty hard.

You're going to remove the mask in the areas with baby hairs, like near your cheeks, jawlines, by using a dry hand cloth and rubbing in a circular manner and it's honestly not the most pleasant thing the first couple of times.  Once you do the trouble areas, or are just tired of hurting yourself whichever comes first, remove the rest of the mask by wetting your washcloth with warm water and remove the mask.

You can set on the warm towel on your face to loosen up the mask a little, it helps.  Apply cool water to soothe, then tone and moisturize as normal.  Using this method only works, truly works if done on a regular basis, like weekly, biweekly for people with seriously stubborn hair.


All done!!

There you go.  So simple..  Doesn't it seem so?  It seems complicated, but it's not.  Everything seems complicated at first but once you get the hang of it it's so easy and once you apply it and try it and see how nice your skin is and see the benefits it's so worth it.

If this is something you enjoy I really encourage you to look into more Ayurvedic beauty remedies.

Thanks for reading.  I hope you try a Turmeric Mask and enjoy the benefits.

Namaste!! ^_^

Bentonite Clay Mask

A bentonite clay mask using Indian Healing Clay is good to help tighten your facial pores, clear up blemishes, and pulls toxins and chemicals from your skin, keeping it in tip top condition.  

The Indian Healing Clay actually has a website if you so desire to read all their information and random jive..

https://www.aztec-secret.com/index.html

Some people even mix up a large batch for full body mud baths but I have yet to try this, nor have I had the desire...  

It tends to be pretty astringent and drying so I don't recommend using it more than once or twice a week tops.

You can mix up a small amount to use at a time and/or mix up a batch to keep in the fridge that's good for a week to spot treat blemishes if you're prone to acne.

*Random note about Bentonite Clay*

I got Bentonite Clay powder quite a ways back instead of the Indian Healing Clay and just did not get the same results.  If you are able to make the mask work with Bentonite Clay powder from a different vendor that's awesome.  You don't have to use the brand I use, I just couldn't get it to work for me*

Making a Clay Mask is super easy when you have what you need.

What do we need??!!

Indian Healing Clay: I get mine from Whole Foods and it runs me about 7 dollars.  I'm sure it's cheaper other places but I haven't had to get another container for over a year now so I haven't had to look yet.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Raw and Organic with "mother" is best, but use what you have. 

Lavender Essential Oil:  Wonderful for repairing damaged skin

Optional:  I also add a little bit of raw honey sometimes.  Honey has healing properties and is really good for your skin.  Just a drop or two in the mixture when I add in my essential oil.

Let's Begin!!

-Use a bowl to mix your ingredients, I suggest glass, and a plastic or wooden spoon/stirring utensil. 

-Using metal utensils causes a reaction with the clay and it won't mix well together.

-Mix equal parts Indian Clay with ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), about 1 Tablespoon.

-Mix them together until you get a soft consistency that you can spread on your face, where it will stick well and won't fall off.  I like to think a nice creamy yogurt consistency works well.

-Add your lavender essential oil if you like and stir well.  Only 1 or 2 drops.

-Once your mask is a good consistency you'll want to apply it to a clean face.  

-Do NOT apply it too close to your eyes, especially if you have essential oil in your mixture as it will burn because mucous membranes are very sensitive to the essential oils.

-Try to avoid hair if possible as it's not easy to get out of hair.  I try to do this before a shower sometimes as it just makes life easier.

-As the mask dries it will be cold, it will make your face tight, this is all completely normal.  

It will hurt to have emotion...

It hurts to smile... or anything..
.....try not to sneeze....

My husband enjoys torturing me by trying to make me laugh which makes the mask tear and makes me feel like my face is being torn is a million directions... thanks a lot soulmate...

Normally you can wait 10-20 minutes before using a very warm towel to rub off the mask, over a sink.  It can take a little elbow grease.  I find it helps to let the warm towel sit on your face a bit before trying to get it off. 

I used to wait the full 20 minutes when it was peeling off, but now I just wait until it's just starting to dry out because my skin is sensitive and dry and can't handle the full 20 minutes.

When it's off it will feel tight and your skin will be red, red, red.  This is normal.  The redness fades in about 20 minutes.  I wouldn't recommend doing this before a hot date or anything.

The clay is doing its job and has drawn toxins out of your skin and tightened your pores.  

Good stuff.  

Apply a high quality moisturizer and enjoy your happy skin.  ^_^

   

Making a Facial Serum...

Why make your own Facial Serum??

Beauty products are a dime a dozen and there are hundreds to choose from.  Personally I'm tired of trying to figure out what kind to buy and spending money that I honestly just don't have.  As I get older, in my 30s now, my skin is changing, hormones fluctuating and products that used to work just don't anymore.  

I remember spending time in the beauty aisle a while back just staring at all the facial products for seriously 10 minutes...  Just dumbfounded.  I didn't even know where to start.  What I had didn't work for me anymore.  Was I supposed to use this stuff now?  Or this stuff?  I almost had a meltdown... Pathetic I know, anxiety is no fun..  I just gave up and left.

It's time for a change.  

Personally I like to use natural when I can because I find less is more when it comes to chemicals and choose to go the holistic route when it comes to my own personal choice.

I switched completely over to the OCM method (oil cleansing method) months ago, cold turkey, the best way to do it.  It worked amazingly and I didn't have a difficult adjustment period at all, I was extremely lucky.  It worked great but even for me it got tedious (aka I'm lazy) and occasionally I'd slip up and use a cleansing cloth here or there of an old product I had and BAM I'd break out or my skin would freak out and I'd have to start over with the process all over again.  So I recently found someone who makes a natural cleanser bar for me that I use instead.  I don't get expensive harsh products anymore, I just can't, my skin freaks out.  

I was cleansing and figured out how to make my skin partially happy but not having a good way to moisturize.  You can use the oil you cleanse with but I don't really care for that.  I have Aloe Vera that I've been using but it never absorbs and taste disgusting if you get it in your mouth...don't ask...blech..

I want a moisturizer, one that works, that absorbs and doesn't feel oogy or makes me break out.

I found this amazing recipe for facial serum and wanted to share!

Credit deserved where credit is due!!

This is where I originally found the recipe:

http://www.crunchybetty.com/simple-homemade-3-ingredient-facial-oil-moisturizer-customize-it-for-your-own-gorgeous-skin

The Crunchy Betty website has tons of good information and good resources if you're new to trying out natural beauty recipes and oil cleansing methods.  This website is where I originally found out about OCM methods and where I got brave enough to stop using normal shampoos as well (that's another post for another day) and pretty much has given me any information I've ever needed when it comes to natural beauty Q&A.

On to the DIY!

For my recipe I decided to use what I had on hand and what I know works well for my skin.  I tend to have combination skin, but it tends to be more on the drier side.  

Fun story, random tangent..  I always thought I had oily skin but turns out all the products I was using was stripping my face of the natural oils so it was overcompensating by producing excess oil.  It wasn't until I used OCM method and my face started to work naturally that I realized what it was supposed to be like.

A lot of the natural products require some trial and error and you need to listen to your body and find what works for you.  It's so worth it!!  So don't give up!! ^_^

Ingredients You'll Need.... (can you tell we go to Trader Joes?)

Jojoba Oil: A luxurious oil with a low comedogenic (non clogging) rating that is great for all skin types

Vitamin E Oil: Anti-oxidant, preservative to prevent your product from going rancid or developing bacteria

Oil of Evening Primrose:  Has a high concentration of a fatty acid called GLA normally used as a dietary supplement for several health ailments.  But can be used for skin and hair as well.  Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, very luxurious.

Lavender Essential Oil: Known for skin healing properties, Anti-fungal, Antiviral

Jasmine Essential Oil: Antiseptic, Fades scars, Antidepressant, Smells Heavenly, Treats Dry Skin

Patchouli Essential Oil:  Good for dry, acne prone, inflamed, irritated skin.  Good for anti-aging properties, scar fading and cell rejuvenation.  

Each of these products do wonderful things for the health and longevity of your skin.  And make it look fabulous.  I personally like the smell of these particular essential oils.  Other than the lavender, but it's such a wonder essential oil for the skin, I'm willing to overlook (or smell I suppose) the strong overkill of the scent. 

These are the oils that I used.  Check out the recipe link from above if there are other oils that you would rather use instead.  I prefer these ones as they're less comedogenic (less pore clogging) and what I have on hand, but find what works for you.  That's the beauty of making things is you can tweak the recipe around how you like it.

How To:

I'm gonna be honest, I eyeballed the measurements here so I could try out my serum/moisturizer so I'm an eyeballer kind of person when I make things/bake/cook, etc....

Your Jojoba Oil will be 2/3 of your serum while your Oil of Evening Primrose will be the other 1/3 of your serum...

So...  (I'm really hoping I won't have to explain that any further..)

-Add your Jojoba Oil  (2/3 of your concoction)

-Add Oil of Evening Primrose (1/3 of your concoction): I cut open the capsules from my daily supplements and it worked just fine, if not a bit messy...(don't do this over your bed sheets in the middle of the night...just a suggestion.)

-Add Vitamin E Oil: I added about 10 drops of this 

-Add Your Essential Oils:  Only 10 in total, no matter what the mixture, no more.  I used less lavender as lavender is very overpowering.

**A Note about Essential Oils**

Be very minimal with essential oils, don't go nuts.  I can't stress this enough!  Too much and you will regret it.  No more than 10 drops TOTAL of all combined oils.  I used my particular oils because they work for me and they're also what I have on hand at the moment.  I will likely use Rose hips in the future as it's very good for serums as for aging skin but I have none on hand.  I urge you to read into essential oils and their different uses if natural beauty and homeopathy is something your interested in.

Here's a link to essential oils if you wanna read more..

21-things-you-should-know-about-essential-oils

Also, the internet is full of information, but it may not all be true, so really do all your research and lots of it to make sure you're getting real information.  You don't want to get sick or harm yourself or other people in case your making gifts for people.   USE COMMON SENSE ;)

That's it, you've done it!  You've made something healthy, natural, and way cheaper than most beauty serums on the market.

A couple things...

Never apply your moisturizer/serum on a dirty face.  Always wash your face first or you'll be sealing dirt and gunk underneath the moisturizer and that's a bit counterproductive in my opinion.

Store your serum in a cool place away from heat, sunlight and preferably in a glass bottle to prevent deterioration.  It should keep for about 8-12 months.

If you notice any sort of irritation you may have some sort of allergy to an essential oil or an oil used in this particular recipe.  Check the link for alternatives.  There are many different ways to do natural recipes.  One person's serum may not work for another person.  That's why the beauty industry is a multi million dollar industry.

Use a couple drops at first until you learn how much you need, a little goes a long way.

As with almost anything, keep away from your eyes.

I've been using this for a bit and my face is like butta!!  So incredibly smooth and amazing.  

Enjoy!! ^_^

Oral Health is Bittersweet!! Homemade Natural Toothpaste and Mouthwash ...Oh my!!!

Today we'll be discussing ORAL HEALTH and how homemade products are awesome!  

(no self pictures this post, I couldn't bring myself to cheese smile for you..you'll get over it.)

The products I've been making are totally natural, easy to make (most everything is already in your pantry), it's better for you, and people have been caring for their mouth this way before toothpaste and Listerine came along to burn the crap out of your mouth.  I'm not suggesting you use a stick to brush your teeth though, just putting that out there.

I've been using these products/methods long enough now to feel comfortable sharing this information with you.  Which means, I'm not dead, so you should be ok. ^_^

Note that the topic of Oil Pulling is too topic intensive, I'll need to make another separate post on it.

Two things today:

• Toothpaste
• Mouth Wash

A couple things I'll touch on now....

Is it gross, doesn't it taste horribad??!!

Using natural products, especially with coconut oil and baking soda are an acquired taste.  It's not for everyone.  For me, I found such a huge difference in how clean my mouth felt, how cleaner my teeth are, how much whiter they are, how I don't have bad breath at all anymore, that I decided to just suck it up and deal with the bitterness.  And honestly now, it doesn't bother me at all.  It did at first, but now I'm used to it so it doesn't bother me.  

The hardest thing at first for me, and still when i'm oil pulling, is the Coconut Oil.  It's not your everyday sweetened coconut people.  It's oil made from the coconut.  It's not sweet, it's kind of blah and taste funky.  I'm getting used to it, but the texture of the coconut oil in it's natural state before it melts in my mouth during pulling makes me wanna hork sometimes...  Just a random fun fact for you. 

Where can I find Coconut Oil??

I believe you can find it anywhere that sells food pretty much.  I saw small containers of it at walmart the other day, but it was very expensive there.  We buy it in bulk from costco or sams.  We spent 45 dollars on our large tub of it.  But found a cheaper one at sams for 15 for about the same amount.  I actually use Coconut Oil so much for my beauty stuff that it's worth it to buy it in bulk now.  

Did you know you use a lot of bullet points??

Yes, I'm aware...I'm organized, and you'll learn to LOVE my organized, almost OCD powerpoint type style, presentations. :)

What the Ingredients we'll be using do for you!

I'll make this as painless as possible, since I could get really scientific here babbling about lauric acids and whatnot, but I'll give you the basic breakdown of things.

Baking Soda:

• Whitening and Stain Removal.  Who doesn't love that?
• It neutralizes bacteria causing acids...stops bad stuff from growing
• Mildly abrasive, so it can remove plaque
• Kills bad breath!  
• Deep cleaning.  The small particles of baking soda do a superb job of getting into all those cracks and crevices in your mouth, between your teeth, etc..
• Less irritating to your gums than "normal" toothpastes

Coconut Oil:

• Has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal fighting powers  *fist pump*
• Destroys bacteria in your mouth
• Has great properties for improving oral health. (will go into detail with oil pulling post)

Essential Oils:

• They smell good and taste good (sometimes, it takes practice to decide if you like the taste of something)
• Tea tree Oil has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, but tastes gross to me, so I'd use peppermint oil, a citrus oil, something you know taste good.

Sweetener: Stevia/Apriva (NOT SUGAR dumdum geesh)

• Makes it sweet since it can be so bitter, this is optional.
• I added it initially because it is so bitter, but since I'm the only one using my toothpaste now I'm going to not add sweetener next time.

DIY TOOTHPASTE

Ingredients:

• Baking Soda
• Coconut Oil
• Sweetener (Stevia/Apriva) (optional) 1 teaspoon
• Essential Oil (for flavoring, also optional) 5-10 drops depending on how strong you want it.

Awes I like to draw stupid little things

What to Do

• Measure out an even ratio of Baking Soda and Coconut Oil (I used 1/4th cup).
• Mix all ingredients together.  Mash them well together, I used a spoon, until you get a mushy texture.
• Put your toothpaste into a container of your choice.  I will be figuring out how to get this stuff into a toothpaste tube eventually.  I used an Orbit gum container.  It works really well for now.

Brushing your teeth

• Put a small amount on your toothbrush.  I recommend a soft bristle toothbrush because this stuff has such a punch to cleaning power that I'm finding my medium bristle to be too harsh now.
• It will not foam like normal toothpaste and has a different consistency, give it a chance.
• It takes time to get used to, but I felt a difference after the first time I used it.  I actually feel like I've been to the dentist!  And it's been a while (ahem..years.) for me, don't tell my dentist... 0_0

As you can see you don't need much, just a tiny bit of toothpaste goes a long way

DIY MOUTHWASH

This one was making me leery at first, because I didn't see how it'd work.  

I want fresh sparkly breath like the next person, but I despise mouthwash.  And despise is a nice, less colorful term.

Normal mouthwash in my experience makes me cringe.  Even the "no pain" new mouthwashes make my mouth burn, I am very sensitive.  Swishing for a minute doesn't work for me.  By the time 20 seconds comes around I am almost in tears, i'm screaming internally and I feel like it isn't working unless my mouth feels like fire and brimstone right??   

This one is SO simple.  I don't even really feel like I need it because of my awesome toothpaste, but it's nice to have if I want a burst of freshness, or a make out session lol.

Ingredients:

• Water
• Baking Soda OR Sea Salt
• Essential Oils

Mixing your mouthwash

I kind of eye balled this honestly...

I used a 16 oz snapple bottle as my container, but you can use anything you want!

You're going to want to adjust your baking soda/salt to the amount of water you use so adjust accordingly

Simple :)  Label it so no one drinks it

I used 1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt (i used sea salt since my toothpaste has baking soda) for my 16 oz bottle of water

I mixed in about 6 drops of Peppermint Oil and 2 drops Tea Tree Oil

Shake and dance!  And you're done!  

Swish with it for 30 seconds, or how ever long you want and spit.

Always shake the bottle before using since the baking soda/salt and oils will settle.

It doesn't burn and has a different liquid consistency because of the oils, and I found it to be tingly (that's the tea tree oil doing it's thing)

And that's it!  

Two simple natural products you'll be glad you have made all by yourself!!

Until next time... 

*Namaste my Friends *

Natural Deodorant!! Going nuts for coconut deodorant!! ^_^

That's right...Homemade deodorant! All natural and good for you!

Sounds a little too "hippie-ish" for you?  Yea, I thought that for myself as well at first, but after making several switches over to natural products I've seen differences that make me feel better and my body is happier for it.  And I smell awesome still, so yay me!

I've been all into the natural homemade craze lately.  

Reasons why?

• Natural/Homeopathic is always (generally) better for you.
• It's better for the environment.  Because you're upcyling and reusing containers over and over it's less waste.
• Less toxins in your body from all the chemicals and what not.  
• Changes in my body are forcing me to.  As I'm getting older my skin is changing, I'm having more sensitivities to everything, hormones are all wonky, and nothing I'm trying from the beauty industry is helping me. 

Am I old?  Lol.  No I'm in my 30s, but as I get older (like most women coming into this age group) I find my hormones are all wonked out, my skin is different on my face and my body, my once oily face is now dry, my hair takes way more upkeep to stay fabulous, and you know...Changes...Lol. 

I've tried every deodorant out there and they all irritate the crap out of my skin.  Redness, pain, etc...  Not to mention all the "Natural" deodorants out there I've also tried and they DON"T WORK.  I don't smell daisy fresh.  My husband found this to a problem as well with his deodorants.  

I've done a lot of research on this, everyone does it a little differently, and I think you may have to tweak the recipe to your needs and by trial and error.  Some people add more or less baking soda based on sensitivities.  

Also, may I add that I took pictures, yes pictures, for your viewing tutorial pleasure!  Because who doesn't love that!  I know I do ^_^

**DIY Homemade Deodorant**

What you need!

(Don't forget the dishtowel to hide the cookies in the background..shhh)

1. Coconut Oil: 5 -6 Tablespoons
2. Baking Soda: 1/4 Cup
3. Cornstarch (or Arrowroot Powder): 1/4 Cup
4. Essential Oils (if desired for your sensory pleasure): 6-10 drops

What to do!

Mix it Together, all of it.

I recommend adding 4 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil first, and adding more as you go for desired consistency.  I added all mine at once, yes all 6 heaping tablespoons, and it was way too liquid for me.

A note about essential oils:  Please make sure you know how you react to certain oils, do some research people!  You are the best judge of your skin, your sensitivities, etc..  You can use lavender, or tea tree oil (my fav), or a citrus scent.  But this is not the time to figure out what you're sensitive to, especially experimenting in your pits...you'll be sorry.  You've been warned!

Stir/Fold ingredients together SLOWLY....

Or you'll end up looking like this.... (you don't want to see my floor right now)

Now that it's a lovely creamy consistency you can put it in a container!  

I chose to upcycle this lovely Marshmallow Creme container, because it's all I could find honestly.  But you can use a glass mason jar that you decorate with stickers or decoupage, or use a tupperware, or whatever your darling little heart desires!

Some people use a deodorant stick tube, an old one they've cleaned old stuff out of.  Now I'm going to try this with my secret tube later on, once I definitely like the concoction ratio, but for now I'll use a jar. 

And why don't we want to use a deodorant tube??

Let me tell you why!!

Some people do and more power to them...but...Coconut oil has a love/hate relationship with temperatures.  It's hard and solidified when cold and total liquid when hot.  So if you have this lovely creamy deodorant in a tube, and it's all awesome and nice when it's cooler....You can only imagine how you may, or may not, be able to efficiently apply it when it's melty and gooey.

My thought...is to perhaps try a version of this with some beeswax, it should hold better in warmer temperatures and be more solidified, so that's something I may try later on.

Applying your deodorant :3

No, I am not going to show you my underarms nor am I going to apply it for you..

Now I WAS gonna show you how it looks when you put it on your skin....but...it started melting and looked inappropriate so...use your imagination you dirty birdies. :p

Basically, you take a tiny bit on your hand and rub it on your armpits, let it dry and voila.  Done and done.  I shouldn't have to tell you to wash your hands afterwards do I?  Wash your hands...

IT'S ERIN APPROVED!!  (I can't believe I posted this pic.. O_o)

A Few Notes.....

This is a DEODORANT.  It is not an antiperspirant.  But hey, guess what?  Humans are supposed to sweat.  So it's honestly not that big of a deal.  Unless you sweat like a gorilla...then you can change the ratio of the deodorant a little to see what works for you.

Now this isn't your normal deodorant, it's OK if it gets on your hands.  Unlike normal deodorant where if it gets on your hands god help you if you rub your eye or get it in your mouth somehow.  These are natural ingredients.  They won't hurt you, but it will taste a little funny.  Not haha funny, but "Ew there's baking soda in my mouth" funny.  But again, you should wash your hands after you apply it.  

All in all, do some experimenting, see what works for you.  But I gave you the gist of it.  You can play around with ratios, try different essential oil scents, do a citrus fruity scent or a manly pine tree dirt scent, whatever floats your boat.

That's all for now  ^_^  Hope you enjoyed!

Namaste!!

New direction for this blog...Moving towards living better ^_^

I liked my initial idea for this blog, then thought about the fact that us having an actual farm is probably a good ways off....like thinking retiring years off maybe lol.

So, for now, I figure I'd do this in a new direction.  I've been trying for a couple years to switch over to better foods, better habits, a better lifestyle for me and my family, and trying to do things more naturally.

Living Better is pretty much the new feel of this blog.  I will be sharing things off and on about nutrition, diy health and beauty, things like that.

For years now we have been making a switch over to changing our lifestyle habits.

Mostly because my husband and I were both very overweight and had picked up some terrible habits, like eating like crap and falling into a routine of doing nothing.  In turn not putting forth a very good example for the kids.

It takes time to change your life around!

So many people forget this and think everything is a quick fix.  If you really want to change something, realize it won't take overnight.  It took years for me to put weight on, it'll take about the same to take it off.  In a healthy way.

Sure I could take drastic measures to lose weight fast the unhealthy way but that won't teach me anything about eating properly, working out properly, and will most likely result in failure down the road and putting weight back on.  Even the contestants from the biggest loser have trouble keeping the weight off down the road.  I have a hard time enjoying that show anymore because it teaches improper and unhealthy ways to exercise and not to mention creates a very unhealthy mental relationship with eating.

It's the same with diet, and I'm not talking about dieting.  It took time to develop terrible habits, so don't expect it to change overnight.

Not to mention if you're switching over to healthier foods and whole food eating it does actually take time to detox from sugar, preservatives, things like that.  There's a new study out saying Oreos are as addictive as cocaine!  Now that's crazy.  And it also explains my serious love for oreos.

Getting over denial is the first step to change...
Once I got over the fact that I am overweight and I did this to myself it made things easier.  I still kind of live in denial that my chubbiness is "excess skin" and it's not lol.  It's 3 years of eating hungry mans every meal, eating fast food excessively, and playing video games without any physical activity.  I wanted change and needed it for my health.  And to be around to take care of my kids and enjoy their life, as well as my own.

Organica Changes!

What have I done so far basically?

• Changed eating habits.  We're eating whole foods for the most part.  But I'm not obsessive about it.  Sometimes I want candy, it happens lol.  But we eat a lot of meat, veggies, protein, fruit, etc..  Good stuff.
• Increased physical activity.  We go to the gym normally, other than that we work out at home.  I walk the dog daily when it's doable with the weather.  
• I've been doing a lot of natural changes with my hygiene and beauty regimen, like DIY beauty like using natural things to clean my face, my hair, deodorant, toothpaste, etc...
• We eat organic when we can.  It's kind of a huge hype right now, so I'm not obsessive about it, but I try to buy certain fruits organic since things like apples are heavily treated with pesticides and such.

DIY beauty is fun and I'm kind of a girly dork about these things....

I've recently discovered the amazing benefits of Coconut oil.  I could go on and on about it, but I'll make another post about it later.  I'll most likely do a different post for each thing I've discovered...  Most of them I'm sure you've never even heard of.

Blog posts coming soon!!

• DIY toothpaste
• Oil Pulling for Oral Health
• Oil Cleansing Method (OCM)
• Natural Hair Care
• Homemade Soaps, detergent, hand soap, body wash, etc...
• Natural cleaners

Many more I'm sure...

You know you're excited!!  

Till next time...Namaste!

One step closer

So we've had a bit of a Snafu with getting where we want to go. 

We had wanted to stay out in the country, but that didn't work out for the time being.  I loved living in the country.  Now the "country" here is more of a prairieland and very few places are wooded.  You have to plant your own trees, or if you're lucky find a property where someone else has already planted trees.  It's windy, with the occasional chance of a tornado, and it gets down right cold with bitter winds.  But the peace and quiet, and the ability to do whatever you want with your home and property, within reason, is priceless.


Right now we're in the process of finding a home.  Our credit is horrid, making this difficult, but I'm sick and tired of waiting around trying to fix all of it at once before we can buy a home.  I'd like to own a home before I'm 30 thank you very much.  I don't care what anyone says, renting is throwing away money!  We could be paying a mortgage that is less than what we pay now and we'd actually own our home.  No more rules regarding animal size, noise restrictions or the sort.  If we lived in town we'd have to deal with strict HOAs here, but we're going to live in the country. 

There are programs out there for people with bad credit to get homes and I'm going to take adavantage of it!  Yea it takes longer to pay off a home and you may pay a little more with all their fandangled fees, but you know what, I consider that karma for getting bad credit in the first place.  Kind of a penalty for having bad credit.  Did you know that even if you pay off everything you owe you'll still have bad credit scores for years to come!?  Yea.  How about them apples?


So what would our ideal home be?  Something 3+ bedrooms, 2 baths, with lots of space, like 2000 square feet and up.  A basement would be awesome so we would have somewhere to have all our caged animals and rescues.  I want some property, like acreage.  I don't want cattle anymore so something under 10 acres is fine.  But I do want a small pony or a miniature donkey so I need some space.  *sneak peek* I'll be writing a blog on ponies and mini donkeys soon.  We love BIG dogs, giant breeds, and I want to be able to foster dogs for rescues, so I want some acreage.  I want to have a place to build my coop for our fowl, I want to have chickens, ducks, and a goose.  I want somewhere in the country, but not in the boonies, so somewhere close to town. 

When choosing a home, there is also a huge factor that most people don't think about...Schools!  I also have two kids and I am looking forward to them going to school so I can finally work so good schools are important as well.  Don't get me wrong, homeschooling is great for some people, especially people that live in the country, but my kids need to go to school.  I need them to go to school, for my own sanity and theirs as well I'm sure.  We have done our research and found homes located in areas with schools that we like.  The homes we're looking at have not only a good public school with free transportation, there is also a great charter school nearby as well, in case we decide to go that route.  I picked the area on purpose. 

Do you have any idea how time consuming it is to find a house you like, then figure out which school district it's in, which bus route runs to it, etc..?  Takes forever.  But you know what?!  If I had done that before moving to where we are now I wouldn't be so aggravated, because I was told we were in a different district than we actually are!  And why am I pissed about this?!  Because I didn't bother to check.  That's why, my bad, I screwed up and my kid suffered because of it.  No one needs to know how she suffered but she did, because it's a shitty school and it was all my fault.  End of Story. 

Do your research people, our kids are more important to us than anything.  And picking a school for your child should involve as much research, time, and frustration as when shopping for a car or a new cell phone service.  If you don't like your local school, then find a charter school!  Charter schools are so amazing!  Or choose a school you like and try open enrollment placement for your kids.  Yea you have to bring them to school, but it's worth it for sure.  We enrolled our daughter in a wonderful charter school that we loved and she thrived in.  I had to bring her to school everyday, and yea that was slightly annoying, but completely worth it.  I wish I could afford to enroll her in fulltime, but that's not an option.  Next year she can.  :)

Well that's all I can think of to vent about for now.  But wanted to talk about how much closer we are to owning our own country home so that in time we'll be able to grow our own food, raise some of our own food, and live sustainably and organically!