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!

Back Tips

For the last couple months, I've dealt with some lower back pain. It's getting better slowly, but surely through yoga and simply being mindful about not doing things that agitate it. When talking to my mom today, she told me of a couple tips from her friend who is a seasoned yoga instructor who has also dealt with some back pain. The tips were about proper body mechanics/alignment: try not to lock my knees when standing and to tilt my pelvis in order to create a more neutral position. Naturally, as my mom was telling me these things, I was trying to do them. I felt a little goofy and thought of my niece, Eleia, and her dance moves from a few months ago:

I doubt I looked as cool as her (as I practiced my new posture in the kitchen), but maybe if I got my arms moving more...

Stroller Strides

Yesterday I attended my first Stroller Strides group. Stroller Strides is a part of a larger organization called "FIT4MOM." They have four main programs: Fit4Baby (pregnant moms), Stroller Strides, Stroller Barre and Body Back and they are nationwide! Pretty cool.

These pictures are from the internet, but this is pretty much what it looks like: a bunch of moms with their strollers, either in a line or circle, walking, running or doing lunges. At one point, while we were working on our triceps, the instructor read a short book to our kiddos. Then later, we did a couple burpees and ran around a skate park while the instructor blew bubbles around the kids. So much fun! It was really fun to exercise and be with other moms. Plus, I feel a good sore today, which is awesome. The only downside is that my back has been bothering me (again) and some of the sharp squat jumps hurt it more. :( I am excited to become part of the Stroller Strides group, but for the next couple weeks I will be focusing on yoga since that's what helped my back out last time it got bad.

It's exciting to find groups that I can do with Isaac and I love exercising so it's a win win. And even though the yoga is not with Ike, it is still something I really enjoy since it ends up being me time and many times meditative (very good for my overall health). Overall, success! Wish me luck!

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 43

Isaac finished off Week 43 still a little sick, but almost 100% better. He doesn't act sick at all, but his nose is still a little runny and once in awhile he coughs. He hates having is nose wiped, but sometimes it needs to be done!

This week we had Isaac's first well child visit with a new pediatrician since we moved to Roseville. Thankfully, we really liked Rainbow Children's Clinic and Dr. Del Mar and the whole staff was great. It is a smaller office than the one we had in SLO, which I really like. You don't realize you have a preference on stuff like that until you experience it! I thought I wouldn't mind having my baby in the hospital since I am comfortable in the hospital setting, but next time I will try to have my baby in a Birthing Center or possibly at home. It wasn't a bad experience at the hospital, but I realize now that I would like to try something different. Something similar goes for Isaac's pediatrician's office. The one in SLO gets rave reviews, but it was just too big and impersonal for me and thankfully we found one that feels better here.

Isaac got his first flu shot and did awesome. He truly takes shots like a champ- cries some, but recovers quickly. He's a little low on his weight- 20th percentile. That kind of blew. I feel like I feel him a lot and nutrient dense food, but I guess he needs a little more! So this week I've been putting a few more nuts in his diet and avocado and other fatty good foods mixed with peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, beef broth, yogurt, chia seeds, hemp hearts, etc. He's tried just about everything and will eat just about anything.

Jake's sister, Kate, sent Isaac some clothes this week which was great since we were in need of 9-12 month clothes. Here's a couple pictures in his "My Aunt Rocks" shirt. Thanks Auntie Kate!

And now I leave you with a little video I made of Isaac's 43rd week.

And here's the video that I used in the weekly video of Ike grooving as he eats. :)

Which topic? MEPS

Which item to talk about? Today was a good day. I say that because in comparison the last couple days have been less than good. It had nothing to do with Isaac, he has been wonderful. I simply haven't been feeling super happy lately. So there's that topic. There's the learning curve of essential oils that I am beginning to dabble in. And there's planning for our Michigan trip that's happening at the end of this month. I think those are the main items. For today's post I think I'll focus on the first topic of emotions. One way that I evaluate my mood and an overall "how I'm doing" is through a process called:

MEPS

Have you ever done MEPS? It's one of my favorite self-assessment tools. A friend of mine introduced me to it in college and every now and then I use it alone or with others to get a better idea of how they are really doing. This is how you do it: go through each adverb and pick the first word that comes to your mind that describes how you are feeling at that moment. There are few boundaries to this exercise as the words do not have to be adjectives (though they can be). The word can be whatever you want as long as you can explain it. So pick a word and then explain why you chose that word. Now it sounds simple, but for some (like my husband), thinking and describing your feelings abstractly can be difficult. Sometimes Jake can find words easily for some and not so easily for the others. For those times I usually give him a scale and that can help. For example, if you are getting stumped with "Emotionally," you can think of it this way- on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being horrible and 10 being amazing) how are you feeling right now. "Mentally" can be on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being feeling dumb/bored/mentally uninterested in anything and 10 being mentally engaged, learning, etc.) how are you feeling. Make sense? I did it during my walk today with Isaac and this is what I came up with:

Mentally: together. 

I've been learning about essential oils and there are things about the business side that frustrate me and have been keeping me from really understanding and figuring out how to best use them. Today I finally feel like some of the information is coming together. I am also enjoying planning our family's trip to Michigan and those plans also are coming together.

Emotionally: better.

As I mentioned earlier, the last few days have been a little rough for me emotionally; nothing big, but a little extra heaviness. Today has definitely been better. I think it's because I was able to get more things done, like exercising, putting clothes away, etc.

Physically: good.

Deep words, huh? haha. Sometimes my words really aren't that deep, but that's the beauty of this exercise, they really don't need to be. Physically I feel good, mostly since I got to exercise. I downloaded the "7 MWC" app and have been using that to exercise once in awhile on top of my daily walking. It stands for 7 minute workout challenge. It's been good, but I'm sure I need to do it more often to continue to lose weight! I no longer look like I'm pregnant, but I can definitely still lose a few pounds. Overall, I feel good.

Spiritually: beginning.

There are times in my walk with God that I feel like I'm going back to the first part of our relationship. Recently I got to sit in on a conversation between my brother-in-law, Adam and my old youth pastor. It was fun. It's been awhile since I've listened to or participated in a theological sparring. One of the things that excites me most about the body of Christ is how different we all are and how each individual's gifts combine to serve in remarkable ways. (reminds me of power rangers!) I always pray and acknowledge Christ in my life, but I'm feeling the push to take more initiative in my relationship with Him, even it if just means reading one scriptural passage a day.

So there it is- MEPS. Give it a try!

Isaac has been so fun these last few days. He's smiley and sweet and cute. Jake has been away working, so here are some pictures I have taken of Ike for him:

 

 

 

Love this kid.