Lilolu

Our Favorite Cold Kicker Remedy

 

This is one of the best and our favorite remedy for warding off colds and the flu.  I got this recipe from Meg over at Cracking An Egg With One Hand.  You're probably wondering why I'm thinking about cold remedies already.  Well, the school year will be starting soon and we all know that's how those nasty viruses spread so quickly.  This recipe requires you to wait up to 4 weeks before you ingest it.  Last year I waited way too long to make this and regretted it.  Not this time around though...I'm going to be ready!  

I wrote an article about it and the recipe over at The Krazy Koupon Lady.   

Homemade Natural Mosquito Spray

 

Jenae, over at I Teach MY Child has a wonderful recipe for natural mosquito spray.  I will definitly be trying it out soon.  If you happen to try it before I do, please come back to comment on it.   

 

 

Backpack Emergency Kit

The kids are playing outside trying to enjoy the last few weeks of their summer break as much as possible.  I'm sure they look forward to the structure the school year brings, just as much I am.  We've gone through the checklist of school supplies, our public school expects them to have on the first day of school.  Everything is ready to go.  

One of the things I add to the backpack is this Backpack Emergency Kit.  The bus ride to and from school isn't too long but my kids usually need something from this kit at some point of the year.  Bella, often gets a bloody nose and Wolfgang usually likes to have lip balm on him, during the winter.  So, last year I made up this Backpack Emergency Kit for them.  This is, Henry's, first year in public school so he was delighted to finally make up his own kit.

Our Backpack Emergency Kit includes:

• 1 pencil pouch (I like the ones with the binder wholes, so they have the option to place it in their binder)
• travel size lotion (I plan on using the refillable tubes when these are used)
• lip balm
• hand sanitizer (here's a great hand sanitizer recipe)
• tissues (Bella, will be completely out by the first month.  Yes, that's how often her nose bleeds.  No worries, it runs in the family.  We're still trying to convince her to get her nose cauterized.)
• first aid kit (it's really just a travel soap box with band-aids and alcohol swabs.  We use to use these adorable kits but they were just too small but they're still so cute.)
• emergency information card (not photographed because I'm a paranoid mom) 

What are some extras you add to your kids backpack?

    

Homemade Play Doh

I've had a recipe for homemade play doh for a few years now, but never tried it.  My niece was staying with us for a few days and it wasn't until she came, that I decide to give it a try.  It was so much easier than I thought it would be.  

Recipe:

~1 cup flour (not self-rising)

~1/2 cup salt

~1 cup water

~1 tablespoon cream of tartar

~food coloring

Mix ingredients in a bowl.  Once ingredients are fully mixed add food coloring.  Pour into saucepan, over low heat and mix until it rolls into a ball.  This will happen quickly.

 

I placed them in these plastic containers to keep them moist.  I hope your kids enjoy making play doh as much as mine did.   You can find more fun things to do with your kids at teachnet.com 

  

Homemade Toothpaste A Bust For Us

Oh yes, another homemade tutorial.  This time I'll be showing you how to make toothpaste. Why do I want to keep learning how to make my own cleaners and body care products? Because I can and knowing my body care items and household cleaners only contain ingredients I want it to have, puts my mind at ease.

 

Okay, so here is what you'll need:

 

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup baking soda (aluminum free)
• a pinch of stevia powder (I used much more)
• several drops of peppermint essential oil
• a travel size refillable lotion bottle

 

 

 

 

 

Just mix all of the ingredients together very well.  You can add water if you need to but only a little at a time.  I didn't add any water to my mixture and it was still very creamy.

 

 

Pour into your bottle..

 

 

...and there you have it.

 

 

 

This is a super easy concoction to make.  After doing some research I found that the stevia and baking soda really help keep your teeth clean and healthy.  Bella and I were really excited to try it out and after we did we agreed it made our teeth feel so clean BUT...we couldn't get past the salty taste which comes from the baking soda.  The peppermint felt great but the salty taste was stronger.  We tried adding more essential oil and more stevia but it didn't help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So why am I sharing this recipe if we didn't like it?  Because others may not mind it so much.  I would love to hear your opinion on this.  If you've tried this recipe, did you like it and what can I do different to make it more pleasant.  

 

 

10 Great Ways to Use Thieves

 A friend of ours introduced Thieves to us a couple of years ago and we have been intrigued since.  I personally think this a very valuable oil and wanted to share it with you.

The first question everyone asks is, "Why is it called Thieves?"  Well, while the bubonic plague decimated Europe in 1413, four thieves were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims.  When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts.  They explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and told of a special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears and temples.

In 1997, studies conducted at the Weber State University showed it to have a 99.96% success rate against airborne bacteria.  After only 10 minutes of exposure, there was a reduction of 82% in Micrococcus luteus, 96% in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 44% in Staphylococcus aureus.  

10 great ways to use Thieves:

1. Soothe Head Pressure- Place a drop of Thieves Oil Blend on the tongue and pushing it against the roof of the mouth may be soothing for head pressures.
2. Purify Air- Put 4-8 drops of Thieves Oil Blend on a cotton ball and place on heating/cooling vents to assist in purifying the air to help control odors.
3. Sanitize Your Dryer- Place 2 drops of Thieves Oil Blend to a wet cloth and place it in a clothes dryer to help keep the dryer sanitized and control odors.
4. Improve Vision- Rubbing Thieves Oil Blend on the big toe before bed may help with proper vision.
5. Freshen Your Home- To keep your house deodorized and freshened while on vacation, put several drops of Thieves on cotton balls in glass bowls around the house.
6. Hand Sanitizer- Sanitize your hands by rubbing a small amount of thieves on them.
7. Soothe Irritated Throat- Place 3-6 drops of Thieves in a glass of purified water then drink it to help soothe an irritated throat.
8. Build Immune System- Rub a couple of drops of Thieves on the bottom of each foot each day to help build the immune system and ward off winter illnesses.
9. Improve Gum Health- place a drop of Thieves on your toothbrush before brushing your teeth to improve gum health.
10. Control & Stop Mold- Spraying Thieves with purified water onto mold has been tested effective to control and stop mold.

How do you use Thieves?

General Safety Information: If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you've never used before. 

Top 5 Homemade Cleaners

Recently, my family had to make some changes at home.  We no longer take family trips whenever we want.  Going out to eat because we don't feel like cooking came to an end and going to the market without a list and coupons just seems crazy.  At first I was not happy about the change.  It just seemed too hard.  After I got over myself, I started doing some research and realized it wasn't difficult at all.  It turns out saving and conserving became fun and fulfilling for me.  My kids think it's so cool we make our own cleaners too.  Who knew!  Along the way, I have found some favorite and very useful cleaning recipes and I'd like to share them with you.  Happy cleaning!  

 

1.  Daily Shower Spray

1 cup water
1/3 cup rubbing alcohol
spray after each shower

2.  All Purpose Cleaner

1 cup vinegar
3 drops of dish detergent
fill the rest of the bottle with water.

(I use this for everything.  counter tops, appliances, glass etc.  The vinegar smell will go away)

3.  Homemade Febreze 

4 tbsp fabric softener (any scent you like.)
Fill the rest of the spray bottle with water.  Shake then spray. 

4.  Laundry Powder

1 bar Dr Bronner's Peppermint Bar Soap

1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup of Super Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer is most common)
 

grate bar of soap (you can also use a food processor).  Mix all ingredients. 

Use 1 tbsp. per load and 2 tbsp. for heavily soiled loads.  This mixture is best for top loaders.  

If you have a front loader you may want to try Homemade Laundry Detergent 

5.  Toilet Bowl Cleaner

1 cup borax
1/2 cup white vinegar

1) Flush the toilet to wet the sides. Sprinkle the borax all along the sides of the inside of the bowl.
2) Drizzle the vinegar over the borax and leave over night.
3) Next day, scrub with a toilet brush and flush.

Do you have any cleaning recipes?

 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

About two years ago I came across a great homemade recipe for laundry detergent.  It has saved me a lot of money and I hope it will do the same for you.  Enjoy.

18 cups of water

1 Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Bar Soap or Fels Naptha soap bar

1 cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Baking Soda will not work - It must have sodium carbonate)

1/2 cup of Borax

3 gallons of hot water

5 gallon bucket

 

1. The following items will be needed

 

 
  
 

2. Grate the Dr Bronner's soap or Fels Naptha soap with a food processor or a grater.  This will help the soap disolve quickly.

 

 

3. Bring 18 cups of water to a simmer.  Pour the grated soap and stir until it is disolved.

 
4. Add one cup of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Must be sodium carbonate)

5. Add 1/2 cup of Borax and stir until it is completely disolved.

 

 

6. Add 3 gallons of hot water to a 5 gallon bucket. Then pour your disolved mixture in the bucket and stir.  Let it sit overnight.

 

 

 

7.  The following is the end result.   

 

Cost for 4 gallons of homemade laundry detergent:

1 bar Fels Naptha  $1.29

55 oz box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda $2.75   (1 cup cost  .40¢)

76 oz  box Borax $3.79   (1/2 cup cost .20¢)

4 gallons = 64 cups or 64 heavily soiled loads

 

Total cost per load = .03¢   Happy washing!