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.

Spicy NingXia Red Soup

This recipe comes from the kitchen of Lindsey Elmore.

This nourishing soup is spicy yet savory and delicious.  

1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
100 g wolfberry
1 small red chili, diced
1 and half cup Vegetable stock
Olive oil
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Garam Marsala
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tbsp Cilantro + more for garnish
Salt & Pepper

Soak wolfberries overnight in water.  Strain reserving the water to make tea.  

In saucepan sautee onion and garlic in oil until soft.  

Add chili, wolfberry and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes.  

Add tomatoes and vegetable stock.  Simmer some more. 

Season to taste with spices.  

Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and blend in blender. Garnish with more cilantro.

The Many Uses Of Essential Oil Toothpaste

I have been working on decluttering my home.  In doing so, I have been working on cutting down on the number of products I use and buy.  I am trying to find products with multiple uses.  Recently I discovered that toothpaste can be used for a number of things.

It all started with a tub of Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste.  Here are a few of the ingredients.

Calcium carbonate                                 Coconut oil                        Sodium bicarbonate
Peppermint oil                                    Spearmint leaf oil                          Clove oil
Ocotea oil                                         Cinnamon Bark oil                         Lemon oil
Eucalyptus Radiata oil                           Rosemary oil

This started me thinking about what else I could use these ingredients for.  I began by using this toothpaste in a few areas of my home.  To my surprise it worked wonderfully. Over time, I started  adding additional oils to the toothpaste and eventually began to make my own multi-purpose paste.

Here are a few things I use my paste for:

1. Brush my teeth of course.

2.  Deodorant! 

3.  Splinter Remover

4.  Bathtub scrub

5.  Bites & Poison Ivy

6.  Stain remover on clothing

7.  Immune booster 
    (I apply to the feet and neck.)

Keep an eye out for post on how to make your own multi-purpose past and a discussion on what oils should be on your list to consider for this paste.

Quality Time

How long does it take to make popcorn?  Ask any kid and they can tell you.  Three minutes is all it takes! First you remove the cellophane.  Then you place the bag in the microwave.  Cook for three minutes.  Now you can enjoy your popcorn.

Making popcorn wasn't quite like this when I was younger.  Making popcorn was a family event. It took time!  This was quality together time.  The invention of the microwave has made cooking easier in many respects.  However, it has also eliminated some great bonding experiences and quality family time.

Why are we always in such a rush?  Why not take a few extra minutes today to spend with your family?  Make some popcorn!

Requirements

1 Cooking Pot with Lid

Cooking Oil

Popcorn Kernels

Salt

Brown Grocery Bag

Instructions

Pour cooking enough oil into your pot to cover the bottom of the pot.
cover the bottom of the pot with popcorn kernels
Cook over medium heat
Popping subsides, pour into brown bag and shake.
This removes any oil that remains.
Add salt to the bag and shake some more.

Market Basket by Clever Container

The Insulated Market Basket by Clever Container is amazing.  I was shocked by its size.  This basket is 18 inches wide and stands 12 inches tall.  I was really expecting something so much smaller.

The outside of the bag is made of a sturdy canvas.  This durable canvas is waterproof and is easy to wipe clean.  The inside of the bag is an insulated plastic. This too is easy to wipe clean and is waterproof.  A metal bar lines the outer top rim of this bag and provides stability. This metal rim keeps the mouth of the bag open for easy access.  The remainder of the bag does not have support bars so if not full, the bag does collapse onto itself.  There is a zipper closure on the top as well as a sturdy metal handle for carrying. The metal handle folds down for storage when not in use.

What really makes this bag useful is that it can handle hot or cold foods.  This bag can fit most standard size crockpots.  I was shocked that with a little manipulation it was able to hold my over-sized crockpot too.

When not transporting pot luck dinners, I keep this bag in my car.  Hot summer days require extra attention.  I pack drinks in it as I run around town.  I use it for my refrigerator items on my grocery trip and leftovers when we go out to eat.

This bag is so versatile.  I love it and highly recommend it. You can purchase this as well as other Clever Container items here Clever Container.