Staying on Track

I love the whole house clean. And it was do-able with one child but with two? Forget it. There are just not enough hours in the day to clean every room, enjoy some playtime, make and eat 6 meals a day without mom or the kids melting down. So! About 6 months ago I packed up quite a bit of my OCD-ness and settled wrote a game plan.

Monday- Laundry (fold and put away)
Tuesday- Vacuum Living Room/Sweep/Mop
Wednesday- Bathrooms
Thursday- Master Bedroom
Friday- Kids Rooms
Saturday- Kitchen (only sometimes...since it gets cleaned after every meal)
Sunday- Wash All Clothes/Bedding  (I only want to do laundry once a week and cloth diapers are usually in the washer during the week)

I know, simple right?? It will be nice when my kids are older and I can divide and conquer but until then I'd rather keep my sanity and the love of my kids. I'm totally a planner so every morning I make myself a list of what I need done and want done. The cleaning of the day is Top Priority! Then I can move to the rest and if they don't all get done it's not a big deal I just move them onto the next day. Everything eventually gets done and I can look at the bathrooms or laundry and take peace in the fact that I won't see them again for 7 days :) And now I feel like I'm planning my day around my little loves instead of working them in my overachiever schedule.

Why did I share this? Maybe you're dealing with this issue too and this will help? More because I want to stay accountable in this area {Grin}

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

A bit late, I know.

Can I just say I love new beginnings. Being able to look at the past and see how far we've come as a family, as friends, and in our journey with the Lord. Two years ago the Lord spoke to me about relationships...some that I had to cut off, some I had to take a few steps back from, and a couple I had to work on. It was a good training for me and I have to remind myself of that training often. Last year He spoke to me about being different. This training will carry into 2011 as well for we have much to learn in this area. He showed us that our calling as a family is different even paired up next most christian families. This has been hard at times...some days we just want to be the same but of course we want to do what we have been made to do so that feeling quickly passes {Grin}. This year I think My Father will be talking to me about time...

The two weeks before Christmas the kids were driving me crazy. There was disobedience all over the place. Which means I was spending most of my day correcting and re-training...and exhausted by 8pm. After all that I was seeing NO RESULTS! Which is weird for my kids. So I'm talking to the Lord one day and say 'Ok. They are doing this and I'm doing this over and over and over again. I'm getting no where. What's going on?' And as plain as day I hear...'Time. You're not spending time with them.'

So four days of putting them back in their number 2 priority slot (where they should have been that two weeks) and TaDa! My real kids are back.

Moving on...

We have some traditions for Christmas....we:
1. Cruised neighborhoods looking at lights
2. Baked cookies for our neighbors
3. Unwrapped our nativity scene one day at a time (two pieces at a time)
4. Made cupcakes for Jesus' Bday
5. Decorated the tree with only white lights, a home made paper garland, and 4 homemade ornaments (I really wanted to keep it simple this year)
6. Little Astronaut and I made a new star for the top of our tree with some yellow felt and lots of glitter
7. We hung up a stocking for Jesus and wrote him letters and drew him pictures for his bday
8. Bought two main gifts for the kids...one from us and one from Jesus. (and stocking stuffers)
    We don't buy a lot of gifts for Christmas because we want to keep it about Jesus. Some people think  that's weird but I just tell them that we can (and do) buy our kids stuff anytime of the year but Christmas is really not about them.

Next year I want to:
1. Write letters to our friends to remind them how special they are to us
2. Have our nativity on our dining table and each night move the wise men around the house as they follow the star to baby Jesus

What did you do this year? Anything you want to do next year?

Toothpaste

This wasn't in my Story of Cosmetics post but I ran out of toothpaste so I jumped on the chance to make some. Here's the recipe...

Tooth Powder:
3 Parts Baking Soda
1 Part Salt

Toothpaste:
3 Parts Baking Soda
1 Part Salt
Add Glycerin until favored consistency
( I found a 4oz bottle for $5 and I used right under 1oz.)
Add Flavoring Extract until you can smell it {Grin}

I used Peppermint in mine. You can also add a drop of food coloring if it gets the kids excited to try too.

What do I think??

It's going well so far. A bit salty the first try but you get used to it. Little Astronaut hasn't complained one bit. I just told him he needs to spit really well. And I use the smallest bit for Miss Adventure since we're still working on her spitting.

My wonderful mother in law asked me...How do you have time to make all these things??

Maybe you're thinking you're too busy too. There was a time I thought I was too busy to make bread from scratch or start a garden. But really it takes 15 mins of my day. Well, not the bread. But really. It took me 15 mins to make this toothpaste. And I don't do these things every day. I make bread every Monday and I'm thinking our toothpaste will last a month. And the deodorant maybe 2 or 3 months. It's really not a big deal. And once you have the supplies at home all you have to do is whip some up when you need it.

So say good bye to the 'time' excuse and try it. {Grin}

Deodorant

I'm so excited to share this one because it is

SO CHEAP and SO EASY!! Do you sense my excitement?? lol

And guess what...my husband is using it.

He's the real test.

He does the gym thing and he helps out

with high school wrestling. Talk about close quarters, right?

First off I will Copy and Paste a tid bit from

3 Healthy Chicks...

Use of antiperspirants. Here is a very intriguing thought. Kerri Bodner, publisher of the excellent Women's Health Letter, points out that 50% of breast cancer tumors appear on the upper quadrant of the breast closest to the underarm. Antiperspirants are strong chemicals, usually containing aluminum, which prevent sweating. Now sweating is a way for the body to eliminate toxins and unwanted materials with the help of the lymphatic system. Preventing this activity is, in Bodner's words, "like damming up a river." Sweat backs up into the lymphatic ducts, and the toxins become trapped in the under-arm lymphatic area. The fatty breast tissue allows for efficient storage of these unwanted toxins. Breast cancer often involves the lymph nodes. Could there be a connection?

Now what I've done in the past is use Women's Degree Antiperspirant during the summer

and Toms Deodorant in the winter to give my body some time to detox. I found that I had to apply

Tom's a few times a day or I was smelled a bit funky.

But now I use this and guess what!!

I don't smell like anything. Honest!

My husband has said it too and he has to work outside the home...

you know...with people who care.

Not just two kids.

So here's how you do it...

Take 3 Tbls Coconut Oil and warm it to a liquid.

Pour into a small bowl and add 3Tbls Baking Soda

and 3 Tbls Corn Starch. You can add an essential oil too if you's like.

Mix until combined and our into an empty deodorant stick.

 Put it in the fridge and it should be ready in 1-2 days.

You can keep in the fridge and use as a stick or you can pour it into a 

small jar and keep it in the bathroom but you have to use your fingers to 

apply it. We use it both ways. It's not messy at all.

Coconut Oil is about 8 bucks for 16 oz so it will last forever. 

And you probably already have Baking Soda and Cornstarch in your

kitchen so I'm thinking 3 Tbls is 1.5 ounces...that's .50cents an ounce...

so for 1.50 you have one great natural product!

Thank you to my friend Mrs. A for this deodorant solution!

Note: At Micheal's Craft Store you can buy a small bottle of essential oil for $3. (Use your 40% off coupon!)It's in the candle making area. We used Clean Linen. 



Soap and Moisturizer

I know you're wondering 'what can she possibly be using for soap??'

Yes...a washcloth and water.

We do use a Trader Joe's (natural) soap in those hidden places :)

but just a good scrubbing with some good ol' clean water does the trick for the rest...promise!

Even on your face!!

 For the past 3 weeks I've been washing my face with soap on Fridays when I washed my hair. But I can totally tell my face oil is adjusting because today is day 8 of no washing and it feels great!

Gets me wondering how much damage we do to our hair and face

with all our crazy chemical washing and chemical moisturizer over and over and over again.

No wonder a women's face ages faster then men. We run our skin into the ground!

As for moisturizer... 

We use Almond Oil.

This particular one smells like lavender when you put it on

but the scent goes away...just in case your hubby dares to try it {Grin}

I was afraid this would be too oily and I would feel like a grease ball all day

but seriously you need very little and it soaks right in.

It can be a bit pricey if you can't find Almond Oil in your grocery store.

 I bought this one at a health food store for $12 but I've been using it for 28 days

and I've used under 1/3 of the bottle between myself and Miss Adventure.

That's only $4 a month. Not too shabby if you ask me.

Maybe you're not quite sure about the no soap thing yet. Try the Almond Oil.

Add your favorite essential oils. Be brave I bet you'll like it {Grin} 

No Shampoo

A while ago I decided to stop washing my hair so often so my natural oils could do what they were made to do...create healthy hair. I washed every other day so I started to wash every 3 days. After a while I pushed it to every 4, then every 5, then every 6....so now I'm up to every Friday I wash my hair. Then I watched the video I posted yesterday. After such a wake up call I've been washing my hair with this...

That's right! Two things you already have in your kitchen. This is not only more natural and better for your hair, it's better for the environment. No I'm not a 'tree hugger' but it makes sense right? You wash your hair and body in chemicals...it goes down the drain and eventually makes it's way back into your water supply and now you're drinking chemicals. Oh and this is super CHEAP! Maybe I'll get some of you with just that. {Grin} Anyways this is how you can do it too...

Step 1 Don't wash your hair everyday. Work yourself up to an extra day until your not a grease ball anymore and then add another day and another day and another day and so forth. My goal is to work up to every two weeks and then maybe once a month. Note: I do rinse my hair every few days with just water. Really work your scalp with your fingers and pull all that natural oil down your hair. And during this stretching time...Don't touch your hair! You'll add the oils from your hands to your hair.

Step 2 Toss your shampoo. Buy an 8oz squirt bottle (I got mine at a beauty supply store for a buck or two). Use 1 TBS Baking Soda and add 1 cup of warm water. Shake and work into your hair. Use your fingers to work it into your roots. I usually let this sit for a few minutes. Rinse. Then mix 1TBS Apple Cider Vinegar in 1 cup warm water. Shake and work into your hair. Let sit a few minutes then rinse well. No you will not smell like Vinegar. Just make sure you rinse well.

I've been using this on myself and Miss Adventure for three weeks and I'm really happy with it. The hubby says the baking soda/vinegar wash makes my hair the softest it's ever been. I haven't used anything but water on Little Astronaut and his hair is not greasy or stinky! That's a big deal for a four year old boy! Goes to show ya that hair was not made to be striped everyday and your body will do it's job if you let it.

More to come on the soap, deodorant, and lotion...

The Story of Cosmetics

Ahh! It's been 3 weeks since my last post! I know...what the heck have I been doing??? Well I'll tell ya...it all started with me watching this video...





So...what'd you think? Crazy I know.

So in the past three weeks I haven't used shampoo, soap, deodorant, or lotion on myself or the kids. Grossed out yet? {Grin} I'll tell you what we have been using instead in my next post.