We are back....and some DIY toiletries....

My laptop had been giving me major problems this past month - problems so bad that it was unusable. I was barely able checking my emails on hubby's computer (which he is using all the time) each night. While I was moving it around a few days ago I dropped it on the ground, and then incredibly, it started working like before again! I still don't know what caused the problem but I'm backing up everything in case it decided to stop working again. Oh how I love and loathe technology!

I have been doing a little bit of sewing and will post those projects soon. In the meantime, I have been trying to figure out how I can further reduce my carbon footprint and live a less toxic life. My preschooler will be going to some summer day camps and one of the location is about 30 min brisk walk from my house. It's actually not that far but since there are major construction happening in my neighbourhood, I'll need to take the long way around which takes about another 12 minutes more than necessary. I think in the mornings when he is going to that day camp, I'll try to push the stroller (with my toddler sitting in it) while my preschooler is standing at the foot rest at the back. That will save me a car trip and will be a good workout for me. I think I'll use the car when I pick him up at noon because it'll be way too hot to do that trip again for everyone. I don't want the kids or myself to get a heat stroke.

I have also been using my homemade toothpaste for a few weeks. I think it's working out great! I noticed that my teeth appeared whiter even only after 1 week of use. I checked many DIY blogs and it seemed that most recipes are 50:50 Coconut oil and Baking Soda. I also added drops of Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils to get that fresh taste in my mouth. The toxins in the commercial toothpaste has really scared me after I read about them on the Environmental Working Group site. I go to that site very often, not only to read up on the hazard levels of different commercial ingredients, but also to copy the ingredients of those that the site approve of to make my own concoctions.

The only drawback (and it's an annoying one) is that my sink is a bit plugged by all the DIY toiletries I'm using. They are all based on Coconut Oil or Olive Oil. I'll try to use a Vinegar/Water solution to spray everything down every night and see if that helps.

Next I'll be making the DIY deodorant with what else but what I have stocked up already - Coconut Oil and Baking Soda and Lavender essential Oil. I'll also be making the DIY Insect Repellent with Citronella essential oil and sunflower oil. Will report on the effectiveness of those soon!

New Homemade Organic Face/Body/Hand lotion

My family and I have been using my own homemade organic Face/Body/Hand/Feet Butter for a long time. The previous formulation had beeswax in it and it is a bit heavy for the warmer seasons. So I did some trial and error and made a new formulation. This batch is more 'lotion-like' and works very well with the pump bottles. And it's sooooo easy to make!

Recipe:
1. 3 parts Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
2. 1 part Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Steps:
1. Melt the 2 oils in a double boiler over medium heat.
2. Once everything is melted, remove from heat. Use a stick blender to blend the oil mixture until the mixture is luke warm.
3. Pour the mixture into a glass mason jar, put the lid on and put the jar in the freezer to cool.
4. Take the jar out of the freezer after about half a day. Leave the jar at room temperature. The mixture will soften gradually and will be ready for use in a few hours.

You can leave the lotion in the jar or pour it into a pump bottle with a funnel for ease of use.

The main step I find that works for me is to freeze the mixed oils in the freezer instead of letting it cool down on the counter. I find the consistency is much better after it was frozen and thawed.

This lotion is much easier to apply all over the body than the previous body butter with beeswax. And I love the coconut scent all over my body and face. I don't even need to add any essential oils as a fragrant. I think I might include this as a X'mas gift for friends/family this year!

Save your used coffee grounds!

We are a household of coffee drinkers. With 2 incredibly active kids under 4 who don't want to sleep/nap, I need all the help I can get. I always save the used coffee grounds for the compost. The grounds are relatively rich in nitrogen, providing bacteria the energy they need to turn organic matter into compost. We have a small fruit garden in the back yard and I don't really have time to take care of it. So good compost really helps it grow.

Yesterday, I read somewhere on the web that you can use old coffee grounds as an exfoliant for the skin. Well, I had to try it! My skin on my hands are very rough from childcare and house chores. I just scoop a small amount of used coffee grounds and rubbed them vigorously between my hands for a few seconds and rinse. My hands felt incredibly soft! Wow! I actually saved the grounds that I used for exfoliating and now that are in the compost heap. I didn't know coffee grounds could be used 3 ways - Awesome!!

Homemade Organic Face/Body/Hand/Feet Butter

I started making homemade natural body butter for my kids when I read about all those scary things they put into commercially available kids' skin creams in the news. My kids and I all have very dry skin so it's essential that we get a rich body butter every day all year round.

I made my first batch last summer using equal parts of Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Extra Virgin Olive oil. Coconut oil is solid in room temperature but melts when in contact with the skin. I melt them in a double boiler, stir the mixture and then let it cool in a clean jar. I used it on my kids and myself and it was very effective with a faint hint of coconut. However the texture wasn't as consistent as I would like and I had been thinking about what to change in the 2nd batch of body butter.

I just made my 2nd batch this week. I decided to add some beeswax to the mixture to make it thicker. Again I used the double boiler to melt everything together, stired the mixture and then let it cool in a clean jar. Then I mashed up the cooled block and produced a thick body butter. It's much easier to apply this batch of mixture. I apply it on myself and my baby when we wake up in the morning and before we go to bed at night. The cream stays on all night long and I could feel that my skin is softer in the morning.

Recipe:
1. 1/3 Cup Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2. 2/3 Cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3. 1 Tablespoon Natural Beeswax

That's it! I like simple recipes like this. No unpronounceable chemicals, no unnatural preservatives. The only caution is that the cream is intensely rich. It works for me because I have very dry skin. If I were to give this to my friends as a gift I would probably label it 'Intensively Rich Hands and Feet Butter'.

For my next batch I think I will add some of my favourite essential oils (my batch only; not for my kids).