Mechanic's Hands

My hands have taken a beating the past 2 weeks with all the car troubles we have been having.  No matter how hard I try to keep clean, I always seem to walk away covered in grease and dirt. Automotive grease is one of the hardest things to remove.  It gets embedded in the skin and does not wash off easily.

I have found that this DIY hand degreaser works wonders on mechanic hands.  Lemon oil cuts through the grease while the salt acts as a scrub. 

However, this degreaser works so well I find my hands in need of a moisturizer to rebalance them after I use it.  For baby soft skin, I have selected some of my favorite skin oils to add to my moisturizer.

Though I am not fond of work on my car, I do what I have to do.  I am thankful to have products that clean my hands up well so I am not reminded of my days troubles every time I eat, write or pay for something.

The Best Day of the Year

Mother's DayThe Best Day Of The Year!

The first post I read on Facebook this morning was a friend saying how this was his favorite day of the year. I though this was strange, especially from a man. Though as the day went on I started to understand more of why he felt this way.

Everyone took to Facebook and Twitter to express their feelings for their mom. I quickly noticed two distinct groups of people; Those who expressed their love and gratitude for the “best mom in the world” and those who miss their mom and wish they were still here with us. Regardless of which group you belong to it is clear to see everyone loves mom for the same reason.

As I went through my day I thought about my mom a lot. Suddenly I stopped as I just realized everything I do and who I am is because of my mom. Like many people, my mother is my best friend. She is there for me everyday regardless of my mood. She knows me better than anyone else. What do you expect, most of what I know was taught to me by her. She has taught me how to love, how to share and how to give. She has taught me how to keep a home; cooking, cleaning and don’t forget laundry. Though most of all she has taught me about family and being thankful for the little things. So today I stop and say thank you for the one thing I take for granted every day. Thank you mom! You are an amazing mother and have done a wonderful job of being a mom.

In the end we are all grateful for the woman who gave us life, but we are just as grateful for the woman who has been by our side and has taught us everything we know. This is why mother’s day is the best day of the year. Thank you to all the mothers who have made us who we are. May we follow in your footsteps and share that love and wisdom with the next generation.

Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!

Digestive Candies

I have been looking for ways to support my family's digestive system lately.  While discussing it with a friend, she reminded me about some herbs and spices that would do the trick.  The problem I have with this is how do I get my family to eat them.  I spoke to her again and this time she suggested candies.  I"m not excited by this idea but eventually I realized I could make my own.

I'm not sure what my family will like, so I have decided to make 3 different types of candies. One is a gum, one a chew and the last a hard candy.  I will share one recipe today and the other two in future posts.

After looking over all the herbs and spices, I have decided to start with mint. To soften the flavor for my preschooler, I am going to add lime to it.  Here is the gum recipe I used:

Ingredients:

6 oz beeswax
mint essential oil
lime essential oil

Directions:

Place beeswax in a small glass bowl.  Place the bowl into a pot of water to create a double boiler. Over medium heat mix the wax as it melts into a liquid.  Once melted let cool a minute then add essential oils. Mix well before pouring wax into candy molds.  Place in the refrigerator to harden.