Some DIY Recipes

Doing it Yourself

I am not a crafty person. Doing "arts and crafts" pretty much lost my interest after preschool, as my perfectionist nature does not handle being crafty very well. However, there are some activities that allow my right brain to let loose, such as music, cooking and some do-it-yourself recipes. I decided to do a little post on some of them because I need a central place to find the recipes when it comes time for me to make them again!

Deodorant

This first recipe and video is from my sister-in-law, Kate Hasson. This deodorant is cheap, easy and safe. The only real downside is that there is no anti-perspirant; so if you're looking not to sweat, keep looking. When I am going out with people I usually stick to good ol' Secret because I hate sweaty armpits in public. However, there are many days when I'm just at home or I'm going out to exercise and I don't want to not sweat, but I don't want to stink and in those situations (which are many!) I appreciate using this deodorant! Thanks Kate!

Recipe:

                                                                             1/4 cup cornstarch

                                                                             1/4 cup baking soda

                                                                             1/4 cup coconut oil

                                                                             10 drops essential oil 

(good oils for deodorizing: geranium, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lime, melaleuca (tea tree), thyme)

Hand Sanitizer

**Ingredients

5-10 drops rosemary, sage, sandalwood, peppermint, or lavender
30 drops tea tree oil
1/4 tsp vitamin E oil (natural preservative to increase shelf life)
1 Tbsp witch hazel or high-proof vodka
8 ounces 100% pure aloe vera gel

**Directions
Add essential oils and Vitamin E oil to a small glass bowl or container and swirl to mix. Add witch hazel (or alcohol) to the oils and swirl again. Add this mixture to the aloe vera gel and mix well. Shake gently before each use. (Sanitizer should last several months with the addition of Vitamin E to help preserve.)
This recipe I got from a website: http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-hand-sanitizer/

I like it a lot. I use it most when we are on the go or after I change Isaac and I am not able to leave him to wash my hands. Not as drying as commercial hand sanitizer and smells nice!

Yoga Mat Spray

**Ingredients
1 cup distilled water
1/4 cup witch hazel (without alcohol) or white vinegar
15 drops Melaleuca (tea tree) oil. FYI Melaleuca has been documented to kill many bacteria, viruses, and fungi on contact. pretty cool!
10 drops of another essential oil of choice. (Lavender, Eucalyptus and Lemongrass essential oils also contain antibacterial properties)
Spray bottle. Glass is preferred, since some essential oils can start to degrade plastic if left for too long.

**Directions

Mix together all of the above ingredients and pour into spray bottle of choice (any extra can be stored). Place the top on the spray bottle and shake to combine the ingredients. Shake the bottle before each use.

This recipe I got from this website: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2014/07/make-antibacterial-yoga-mat-spray.html

That's all I'm going to do for now. I have a few oil blends that I like for Isaac, but I'll mention those another time. Hopefully others will find these recipes as helpful as I do!

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 46

Teeth. It's that time again. Isaac has had eight teeth since he was 6 months and now his first molar on the top right is beginning to make way, which explains a lot. Over the last couple weeks he's been a little more moody and clingy and it seems to come and go. He also has been sucking his thumb more and this development may be part of it! I love when there's a reason for things!

Even though he has his hot/cold moments, there are still MANY smiles from this child. Another new development is that he is walking better when we hold his hands. I should get a video of it... Even though it looks as though walking may be on the horizon, he is quite the avid crawler, but doesn't always look where he's going. Actually, when he gets excited, he rarely looks where he's going. He puts his head down and just GOES.

He also enjoys "reading" Guess How Much I Love You. With this book in particular, he gets more animated and "talks" while flipping through the pages.

Lastly, I have a video of Isaac watching one of HBO's shows, "Classical Baby: I'm Grown Up Now: The Poetry Show." I really like the "classical baby" series and Isaac does too! I put this on for him when Jake and I were trying to finish getting things ready for him to leave for work. In this clip Ike is listening/watching one of my favorite poems, (read by Gwyneth Paltrow) "How do I love thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 41

Isaac's accomplishment this week was balancing on his feet without support. It's brief, but he's able to do it! He continues to be a good little eater and sleeps well at night, though he has turned into a little more of a light sleeper. I'm thinking/hoping it's just a phase.

We have a baby monitor that we can watch from our phones and computer. It catches some pretty cute pictures of this kid.

We have a few books that we read to Isaac. Because of his age, we stick mostly to the board books since he still wants to gnaw on them. One that never gets old is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" Why is it such a child favorite? It really does amaze me how this book seems to capture every child's attention.

Isaac is also quite chatty and is constantly pulling himself up to stand.

Although Isaac is becoming more weary of strangers he was happy to be held by my dear friend, Renee. Her personality is great and that necklace was a great "conversation" piece for them. :)

And the last video (probably one of my absolute favorites) is of Isaac crawling over to Jake.

Week 31 / 7 Months Old!

Yesterday marked Isaac's 31st week of being outside of the womb! :) During week 31 Isaac turned 7 months old!

He has his 8 teeth and is liking food more and more. He sits in his Summer Infant Support-Me 3-in-1 Positioner, Feeding seat and booster (a favorite item of mine). It's a super handy, easy to move chair for him to sit and eat in. His favorite food this week was my mom's lentil soup. He also likes chicken and continues to love Cheerios. I considered trying the "baby led weaning," but got nervous about him choking, especially since he has so many teeth! He's just able to bite off big chunks, so that makes it a little more scary to have him feed himself bigger pieces of food.

Isaac sits up really well now and is able to sit and play with toys easily and often goes into the tripod pose in attempts to move, but no actual forward movement; if anything, I find him pushing himself backwards.

We traveled again this week to Roseville and Ike did really well up until the last hour and a half. We desperately searched for a song or a toy to help calm him (sleep really was the answer as it was his bedtime). "The Crow Song" from Music Together and "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from Mulan momentarily stopped the crying along with his indestructible book and elephant. However, stopping and taking him out, feeding him and getting back on the road ended up being the real remedy. Even with that hiccup, I still claim that Ike is a good traveler. :)

He still sleeps in the bassinet part of our pack-n-play, but now he can flip onto his stomach and is beginning to pull himself up once in a while, so that probably won't stay for much longer.

We also went to the beach for the first time this week. Sadly, little Ike got his ankles bit by (I think) a bunch of tiny sand fleas. It didn't hurt him, but it looked terrible! :( The waves didn't seem to phase him much. I want to take him again sometime, but I will be on high alert for those little pests!

And I will leave you with a video of Isaac enjoying his lentil soup...