Homemade Body Scrub (Oh, and I'm Back... Again...)

Hello again!  I deleted my last 'I'm back' post because (obviously) I wasn't really back.  I fully intended to be, but you know, life happened.  So... Much... Life...  So first, I will update.  I mostly blog for myself, my family, and my friends.  I hope I can help a few others out there too, but it is primarily for us.  This is basically a catalog of information through our crazy journey.  It all started when I had my own medical struggles and then my daughter had hers too.  Now, I see so many others going through similar struggles.  I hope I can help them too.  I thought about just making the blog completely private so it didn't matter when I updated.  However, I have had so many through my daughter's issues ask me to keep going, that I am going to keep it mostly available for others as well.  However, posts may be sporadic and mostly caught up during summer break.  I am on summer break right now.  My summer breaks aren't really breaks.  I spend a lot of time at professional development and meeting with my team to plan our curriculum for next year.  The rest of the time, I spend planning our year of food and health at home for my family.  If you remember, my daughter cannot have corn.  Corn is in everything.  And I mean EVERYTHING!  I have learned much more about all of that since I posted last so I will try to update on that as I go.  We have also learned more about the delays this has caused for my daughter as well as other possible special needs for her academically.  We are still working on those.  It is a work in progress, but so far, we have had very supportive networks and teachers working with us even though we've had a not so supportive history of doctors.  She fits all of the newer research for learning and food needs.  I am thankful for the teachers, therapists, and specialists who have been so supportive and helpful.  Also, since my last post, I have had surgery and my husband has had a few surgeries.  Crazy, I know.  I had to have a hysterectomy.  Apparently, things were much worse than were showing up in blood tests and ultrasounds but I was in so much pain.  We only did a partial so I still have PCOS to deal with.  It was basically choose the hormone problem I'm used to or the opposite hormone problem.  Ugh!  So I am still fighting with hormones and weight.  Luckily, I've just gone back and forth and not gained all of what I lost back.  I am still smaller than I was when I had L by almost 20 pounds.  Hopefully, now that all of that is done, I can get back on track and keep losing.  J has lost a ton of weight though.  Good for him...  (*insert eye roll here*)  So there is a bit of an update for now.  Here is a recipe that won big as Christmas gifts this year: 

Coconut Body Scrub

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup raw organic sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

preferred essential oil (optional)

Directions:

There are a few ways you can do this.  On my lower legs and arms, I use the sugar as is.  If I make one for my face and upper legs though, I put the sugar in my Ninja (food processor or blender) to make it a finer grain.  This is a preference though.  First I went ahead and softened the coconut oil just a bit. 10-15 seconds in the microwave is plenty.  You don't want it all liquid.  Mix it with the sugar. I used my hands and a good spatula to do this.  Then, if you want, you can add a few drops of an essential oil.  You can leave it just coconut.  I like this sometimes during the summer because coconut oil on it's own provides some UV protection.  But lavender oil (for relaxation) or lime (to wake you up) is sometimes nice too!  I mix it up.  I love to play with my oils.  Easy peasy!  

I didn't get any pictures of this when I did it at Christmas.  Silly me!  I will try to remember next time.  When I fixed these up for gifts, I just put some in little red ramekins with ribbons around them.  

Homemade Bug Spray

I am very allergic to mosquitoes!  They can make an entire limb swell up.  Then that will leave a bruise underneath for weeks.  It's painful rather than itchy.  BUT, I have never been able to wear bug spray either.  They all give me severe headaches and make my eyes swell up.  I spent a lot of very hot summer days and nights in long sleeves, long pants and boots because of this.  After my daughter was born, I didn't want to risk any of it so I started experimenting with natural, homemade bug sprays.  I've tried many but one worked better than any others.  That is this one.  Some put lavender instead of eucalyptus.  I tried that and still had several bites.  I tried tea tree oil as well.  Tea tree seems to work for ticks but I still had mosquito bites.  After using this spray, my daughter and I had zero, yes I said ZERO bites.  If you follow my blog, you have seen my carpet treatment for fleas.  It uses eucalyptus oil as well.  I believe eucalyptus is just a great bug deterrent.  (FYI, it's also good for clearing sinuses.  Just put a few drops in each corner of your shower before taking a hot, steamy shower.)  I didn't make a fancy bottle for this or anything.  I just bought a little spray bottle from Walmart or Target.

Natural Bug Spray Recipe:

Ingredients:
3.5 ounces Witch Hazel
Equal parts:
       -Lemongrass Oil
       -Eucalyptus Oil
       -Citronella Oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a 4 ounce spray bottle.  Shake well before each use.  Spray just like any other bug spray.  Repeat as needed.



I hope it works as well for you as it did for my family!

Weight Loss and Life Update

I thought this might be a good time for an update.  I know I haven't been blogging on a regular basis in quite awhile.  However, I do plan to add many posts this summer.  This month I am teaching summer school so I am not actually on summer break yet.  But next month, when I am on summer break, I will work on some new recipes and blog posts.  BUT, I wanted to update everyone who wants to know about my weight loss progress.

I have had so many people ask me which diet I am on.  They are always surprised and a bit annoyed when I tell them what I am really doing.  This isn't a diet.  "Diets" do not work.  Lifestyle is key.  I changed everything about how I think about food.  I learned how to cook in a completely different way.  It isn't convenient to do this and it isn't a temporary "diet."  This is a lifelong change.  If you diet and then go back to what you were doing before, it is only logical that you would gain it all back.  By doing that, you are repeating the same mistakes you have made over and over again.  That just doesn't make any sense.  But we seem to do it anyway.  And doctors, the people we are supposed to be able to trust and depend on to help us be healthy, are the ones making the same mistakes and telling us to do these diets that don't make any sense.  I will never go back and my family will be better for it.  It is hard.  It takes a lot of time and it isn't cheap with the way our society is now.  But I have tested it and it is almost as expensive to buy boxed and canned meals now.  It is more expensive to pay medical and prescription bills for the illnesses that come from eating horribly and becoming obese and unhealthy.

As of a week ago, I have lost 79 pounds so far.  It has taken two and a half years to get that far but slow is healthier.  It gives your skin time to catch up when you have such a large weight loss and it gives your body time to adjust.  I still have quite a bit to go but I feel so much better.  So I'll share a picture.  I took a picture at the beginning of my weight loss and lifestyle change journey.  I took another picture at 62 pounds down.  I took another picture tonight.  The three are fused together to show the progress thus far.  You can judge for yourself how well it is going.

Homemade Lotion

Here is the recipe for the lotion I promised after the lotion bars.  My mother in law loves this.  She has circulation problems in her legs and they itch and break out.  This lotion has helped it heal when nothing else has.  I never thought about that when I made it but I'm ecstatic that it helped her so much.  I hope it can help more people too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond oil (if you need to be nut free you can use olive or grapeseed)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/8 cup beeswax
1/2 tsp. vitamin E oil
30 drops essential oil (optional)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mason jar.  Add 1-2 inches of water in a sauce pan and put on medium heat.  Put the jar in the sauce pan and shake the ingredients periodically while melting.  When everything is melted and mixed, pour into containers.  I used some squeeze bottles for this lotion.  It seems to be thin enough to use in a pump but I have not tried it that way yet.  If you put it in a jar or container that can't be squeezed, you may need to stir it up after it cools.

I made this for Christmas presents.  I will update later when I know how everyone liked it.  I like it so far.  I've been using coconut oil on my hands and body for awhile but it is a pain to melt every time you need to use it.  This way I can put it in a container and it is ready to use.  It is a little greasy, but I've never found a lotion I thought wasn't greasy or oily.  I have had the best luck squeezing it out onto the back of my hand, then spreading it around so the majority of the oil is on the back of my hand.  If my palms and fingers feel to oily, I usually just grab a dry rag or towel (or if I'm out- a paper towel) and wipe off my palms.  I have really bad excema that flairs up worse in the winter.  My hands will crack and bleed.  And no lotion works.  In fact, most of them burn, break me out, or make the excema worse.  Even the prescription ointments I was given didn't work.  I also have patches on my arms and legs.  I'm lucky that I don't get them on my face like some people I know.  But if you or someone you know has trouble with skin issues or allergies to topical products, this may help them.

I did not come up with this recipe myself, of course.  I did, however, edit the ones I found until it worked for me.  I had four different lotion recipes that I used to change things around until it came out the way I wanted.

I will add pictures next time I make this.  I focused on pictures of the lotion bars and completely forgot about them by the time I did this lotion.

Coconut Lotion Bars

I was recently (finally) diagnosed with excema.  Although I've ALWAYS known I had it.  I'm allergic to every lotion out there.  My breakouts get worse in the winter of course and I get patches up my arms and around my thighs.  And the backs of my hands crack and bleed.  But lotion breaks me out and burns like my hands are on fire.  And they turn really, really, REALLY red.  And it is all getting worse with age.  So this year I decided to do something about it and make my own lotion.  I even shared the experience and made several bars for family at Christmas.  So far everyone has liked my lotions.  I made liquid lotion too and I'll post the instructions for that later.  This though, is for the bar.  I like it the best.  But the other lotion is better for using with the child.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup Shea butter (if you need to make this nut free, I believe you could substitute cocoa butter)
2/3 cup beeswax pastilles
1/2 tsp. vitamin E oil
20-30 drops essential oils (optional for scent)

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a quart size mason jar (with lid to prevent water from damaging lotion bar mixture).  Fill a sauce pan with about two inches of water and place over medium to medium-high heat.  Bring the water to a simmer and shake up the jar periodically while the contents melt.  When everything is liquid, pour into molds.  I had plastic soap-making molds.  You could use silicon molds, especially if you like them enough to make them more than once.  It is hard to pop these out of glass or metal molds/pans.  Let molds set overnight.  Carefully pop out of molds.  I wrapped them in cellophane to give as gifts at Christmas.  I also kept some for myself.  These are great to use after showers, shaving and washing dishes.

If these get a little to soft or start melting, you can harden it back up by sticking it in the fridge for awhile.  The cold temperatures will harden the coconut oil and Shea butter.

I did not come up with this recipe at all so I need to give credit.  I, of course, found it on pinterest.  You can find the original post where I got the recipe HERE.

Throwing Out That Toxic Shampoo

Yes, I did it.  I was VERY skeptical of the "no poo" fad.  I have always struggled with very oily hair.  And I mean OILY!  I wash my hair every morning and by noon I was usually putting it up because it was already getting oily.  And it made me mad because people always said to wash it less.  The reason it was oily was because I was supposedly washing it too much.  The whole reason I started washing it so much was because it got that oily!!!  And there is no shampoo that works for oily hair.  If you have dry or frizzy or colored or curly hair, you have you pick of shampoos and brands.  But if you have oily?  There are maybe three shampoos you can find.  I've tried everything.  I also struggled with dandruff and sensitive skin.  I have allergies to so many lotions, soaps, shampoos, etc.  I recently had a friend take the plunge and try the "no poo" method.  After about six months, she and her whole household were still using it and were believers.  I visited them and they looked great and were so happy with the decision that I decided to give it a shot.  I'm glad I did.  It took about two weeks for my hair to really even out but after that it is so soft and smooth.  It has body/volume, less dandruff, and I can leave it down all day and when I go to bed at night it still isn't oily.  I have been amazed.  I am going to tell you how I do this but there really is no RIGHT way.  You have to experiment a little to find the right way for you.  I still wash my hair with the mixture every morning.  I find my hair does best that way.  My daughter's hair is only being washed twice a week now but she is only three and that is what works best for her.  My friend uses the mixture on her hair a few times a week now and just scrubs with water in between.  It depends on your hair (texture, thickness, dry/oily, etc.).

So here is what I do.  For the shampoo, I mix about 2 Tbsp. baking soda with about a cup of water. (If you have extra dry hair, you should only use 1 Tbsp. because baking soda can dry.)  I put this in a spray bottle that I got at Walmart or Target.  Shake it up and spray it all over wet hair.  I have a LOT of hair so I pick up my hair and spray it in layers.  Some people only have to spray it on top then scrub it in.  Experiment and find what works for you.  There are also several helpful videos on YouTube that can help you find different methods.  Scrub it in and scrub your scalp.  I let this sit in my hair a few minutes while I do some other stuff.  Then rinse thoroughly.

For the conditioner, (you won't want to skip this, even if you are like me and have oily hair), mix 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar in about a cup of water.  I put this in another spray bottle.  This one I just spray over the top of my hair.  If you have really dry hair, you may want to spray more.  I've also seen people who have really dry hair mix half cup cider vinegar with half cup water.  More vinegar means more moisture.  Let this sit for a few minutes too.  Then rinse thoroughly.  Don't worry, if you rinse thoroughly, your hair won't smell like the apple cider vinegar.  I've asked.  Nobody has been able to smell it.

Really, you should try this.  Read the ingredients in your shampoo and tell me you think those ingredients are okay.  Especially if you have crazy skin reactions like I do.  Or major issues with your hair or dandruff like I did.

Natural Living- Face Soap

It has not been easy to get on here to blog lately.  L is finally doing better but we still haven't really gotten our life back to normal (whatever normal means).  I am studying to take a test to extend my teaching license to cover more grades, trying to find a teaching position for next year and still trying to cook and keep the family healthy.  I have not tried any new recipes lately but plan to soon.  The farmer's markets are opening this month and I hope to start stocking up.  Busy, busy, busy...

I thought I would go ahead and jump on here and tell you all about a new face wash I am using.  I plan on making my own face wash, body wash, etc. eventually, but for now I buy as natural as possible.  The new soap is a bar soap called Olivella.  It is made with virgin olive oil from Italy according to the company.  I started using it and noticed a difference after one day.  My face is softer, less oily and less flaky/dry.  I have EXTREMELY oily skin, especially face and hair.  I have had trouble with my hair my whole life and my poor daughter has hair just like mine.  She is two and a half and already has trouble with oily hair.  I plan on experimenting a little with hair this summer when I don't have to worry about looking nice if I mess it up some day.  During the summer I jump in the pool multiple times per day anyway.  Anyway, back to my face...  If you can believe it, my face is oily and dry at the same time.  I have no idea how that happens.  And I am 28 years old and still break out like a teenager.  I have tried everything.  Through the past year I have been reading about natural methods of cleansing our bodies on the outside since we've been focusing so much on our insides already.

I bought this soap at my local health food store but you can also find it online.  If you want to check the company out, this is their website:  http://www.olivellausa.com
The exact bar soap I bought and use is:  http://www.olivellausa.com/OlivellaBarSoap.html

The only ingredient which is concerning to some is the fragrance.  I'm not sure exactly what the fragrance is derived from but the other ingredients are just olive oils.  This is about as natural as you get without making your own.  As I experiment more with my own I will post blogs.  This all started when I read something about how it doesn't make sense to use the soaps we use on our faces.  Oils wash away oils, harsh chemicals do not.

Another note:  I used a scrub daily because I felt like I had build up on my face everyday whether I wore make up or not.  With this soap, I don't feel a build up at all and don't feel the need to add anything else to my cleansing routine.  Not to mention this is so much cheaper than what I was using.  I also have sensitive skin so my soaps were always more expensive.  Since I lost weight over the past year, my body chemistry has changed and I have reactions to even more of the harsh soaps.  I was using a "natural" cleanser.  The brand is Boscia.  It is incredibly expensive.  I spent between $35-$40 per bottle of face wash.  And that doesn't include the acne gel, moisturizer or scrub.  So, for $4, I have replaced at least 3-4 expensive products.

Try it.  If not this soap, then some other more natural oil method.  I have been so skeptical of all of this natural stuff for so long but now that I have started trying some of them, I believe there are many benefits to this way of life.