My favorite "Essentials"

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

If you haven't noticed from a few of my other posts, I love essential oils and making my own homemade "goods" from them! : ) So, here, I'd like to talk about some of my favorite oils, their properties, and of course--some RECIPES!

Many E.O. (essential oils) have scores of great properties. The ones I look for the the most in E.O. are antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, and antifungal properties. Can you imagine--all of those characters in one bottle of E.O.? Tis true! : )

Lavender has to be my favorite of all oils. I put it in everything! I love the smell, it's relatively gentle, and has all 4 of the properties I look for. It's a must for a starter kit.

Some other oils that have all 4 properties are: Eucalyptus, Lemon, Rosewood, and Tea Tree.

I love these oils the most because you can use them for so many things, and get more done! : )

One other thing I would recommend if you're serious about getting your home clean the "natural way" (which is healthier, cleaner, and works better!), is this book:

THIS BOOK ROCKS!! It is small, simple, and loaded with facts and tips about cleaning your home naturally; she even lists all things needed for your starter kit (which is how I started!). Love it!

Her book covers detailed cleaning recipes for the kitchen, bath, laundry, wood care, cleaning metals, walls and carpeting, clearing the air, the garage & basement, the garden & landscape, and your home office! I'm telling you--it's power packed!

Ok, now some promised recipes:

Germs Away Spray

2 c. water

1/4 c. liquid castile soap

20 drops of essential oils

(preferably lavender, tea tree, rosewood, lemon, or eucalyptus)*

*a mixture of the above oils to suit is best!

Place the ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake well before each use. Wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge.

I had already listed this one here, with some other of my home cleaning necessities, but I really love this recipe and want to make sure everyone gets it! It is generally used in the bathroom...

Pine Floor Cleaner*

1 gallon of hot water

2 Tbls. of castile soap

10 drops of pine essential oils

5 drops of cedarwood essential oils

Put all ingredients in a large bucket, mix, and use as you would to normally mop your floor.

*This is leaves a light pine scent behind, without all of the chemicals in your old pine solvent cleaners.

Lemony Kitchen Cleaner

1 tsp. of liquid castile soap

1/8 c. of white vinegar

1/4 c. of lemon juice

2 cups of water

6 drops of GSE (Grape Seed Extract)

4 drops of lemon E.O.

1 tsp. of borax

Place the ingredients in a spray bottle, and shake well before each use. Wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge.

Well, there they are! Simple, easy, and very effective! I've used each of these recipes and really enjoy them. Let me know what you think, and feel free to contact me with any questions!

Enjoy!

~Page

Homemade Fabric Softener!

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

As per a few requests, I decided to post a quick fabric softener recipe as a follow up to our Homemade Detergent. This stuff is way cheaper, and has NO chemicals.

Ok, hold on to your seats. This will be the easiest recipe you have ever seen. So prepare yourself.

Ok... Ready? : )

Homemade Fabric Softener:

1/2 c. - 1 c. of Distilled White Vinegar

*Add to your softener compartment, or try to remember to add during the rinse cycle (for those of us not lucky enough to have brand new HE washers... not that I'm bitter against my GREAT, AWESOME friend Lauren... Ha ha!!)

And that's it! YOUR CLOTHES WILL NOT SMELL LIKE VINEGAR. As a matter of fact, it helps get rid of most any unpleasant smells from your clothing. The vinegar also helps with static cling, fluffs up blankets, and really breaks up soap residue. This is also great for baby items!!

This stuff works great even for clothes forgotten in the washer for too long that have begun to stink: Add a 1/2 c. to 1 c. of vinegar and re-rinse.

Also, if you use fabric softener a lot, you can buy this stuff by the gallon (as I do) and add 20 drops of lavender essential oil to the jug. Shake well before each use.

Love, love, love this stuff! I use vinegar all over the house! I'll cover that more later! : )

And, you can look here if you missed our Homemade Detergent!

Hope this helps!

~Page

Essential Oils 101

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

I LOVE ESSENTIAL OILS!! This has certainly been a recent, new world for me, but I am loving it so far!!

These little bottles are power packed with properties that can kill germs, be great for your homemade cleaners, fragrance your home and laundry, be bug deterrents, first aid helps, and can even persuade your moods! And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

I have quite a little library started, and I'm nuts about all of them! But my all time favorite must be Lavender.

It just does everything. Has all the right properties. Is gentle to my skin. And is just... GREAT! : ) Not that I'm biased or anything, but this one is a must for any collection!

Now that I have hopefully gotten you all excited about EO and wanting more, I want to make sure that I start out these EO posts first by covering some basic safety tips. DO NOT go run out and by tons of oils without researching each one. Some of these oils can be dangerous if not properly researched and handled!

Check out this website here for several detailed descriptions about the oils and some of their properties.

Below is a very general guideline about EO safety: (also found here)

Essential Oil Safety

Essential oils are very concentrated. Their safe use requires they be treated with care and respect. The user should be knowledgeable about their properties and actions before any use. Most personal applications require drops rather than ounces.

* Always read and follow all label warnings and cautions

* Keep oils tightly closed and out of the reach of children

* Never ingest essential oils

* Don't use undiluted oils on your skin (Dilute with vegetable oils such as sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil (not GSE))

* Skin test oils before using. Dilute a small amount and apply to the skin on your inner arm. Do not use if redness or irritation occurs.

* Keep oils away from eyes and mucous membranes.

* If redness, burning, itching or irritation occur, stop using oils immediately.

* Angelica and all citrus oils make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. Do not go out into the sun with these oils on your skin.

* Sweet fennel, hyssop, sage and rosemary should not be used by anyone with epilepsy.

* People with high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy

bitter almond, basil, clary sage, clove bud, hyssop, sweet fennel, juniper berry, marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage, thyme and wintergreen

Skin Irritants

allspice, bitter almond, basil, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, clove bud, sweet fennel, fir needle, lemon, lemongrass, melissa, peppermint, tea tree and wintergreen

EO's really are wonderful. They can change the way you keep your home, and make it a much safer place by taking out all of the chemicals and such...

Next will be some more of my favorites, where to purchase (to keep from spending an arm and a leg), and some recipes to use in your home!

Hope you enjoy these gems as much as I do!!

~Page

Homemade Deodorant... That Works!!

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

"Lord, by this time he stinketh" John 11:39

Bwa ha ha ha ha!! That has to be one of my most favorite verses in the Bible! "But Lord, he stinks!" : ) The story is truly amazing. Our Lord, Almighty, raising a man from dead! Wow!! But even as amazing as it was--I'm sure no one was running to give Lazarus a hug when he came walking out!! No one appreciates a rotten, yucky stench... Hence, the following (ha ha!!):

Ok, I know that most of you were raising an eyebrow from the second you saw the title. "Homemade Deo??" Yes! Just keep reading! It will be worth your while... : )

A few details: I have been searching for an all natural deodorant for a while now. As with anything else, get on the internet for 2 seconds and you can find all sorts of conflicting research about the topic . But as for me, I personally think the less chemical junk we use in our homes and on ourselves, the better.

I have purchased a few all natural deos in the past, and THEY NEVER WORK! So frustrating! I think a lot of natural products get the rep of not working... I'm sure a lot of you have seen or tried some "all natural miracle" products, and been extremely disappointed. (I HAVE!!!) But, I still know that there are products out there that are really great, all natural, and most of the time work better for less $$$$. So, I kept searching...

And... I found it!

Thank you, Lord, for meeting this want for me! : )

After much searching, I came across a blog that had a recipe for this homemade wonder product.

This stuff works great! Trust me... It has been used for general use, work outs, and even a trip to Dollywood on the hottest day of the summer to date!! And since I refuse to "stinketh", this was perfect for the job! : )

So, here's the ingredients (for my modified version):

So, of course, I would leave the sea salt out of the picture... But you get the idea. : )

1/4 c. baking soda

1/4 c. of arrowroot powder*

4 Tbs. of coconut oil

10-15 drops of the essential oil of your choice**

a pinch or two of fine sea salt***

*As you can read from the original recipe , cornstarch can also be used in place of the arrowroot powder (found in most health food, gluten free, or organic based stores), but this can lead to yeast infections. It is worth your while to purchase the arrowroot powder.

**For the essential oils, I used 10 drops of tea tree oil and 5 drops of lavender. Both of these oils have antibacterial properties (bacteria being the cause of the sweat odor). But there are many other oils and combinations of oils that you can use to suit yourself! That is another great thing about this product!! : )

***I added the bit of sea salt after reading somewhere that salt makes an unfriendly home for the offending bacteria. Some natural deos are nothing but a block of salt!

Just take these ingredients and mix them well in a container with an air tight lid. Store at room temperature.

To apply, just scoop out a tiny dollop on your finger and rub it in.

The consistency is just like a store bought deodorant at room temp. And this costs the same or less (depending on what brands you use) as many other deos!

And that's it!

I really love this stuff and intend to stick with it. It's just what I was looking for: all natural, good for me, and does the job well!! God calls us to take care of our bodies, and this is just a small thing I can do to fulfill this calling.

Try it out and let me know what you think!!

~Page

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."