My blog resurrected.

When I started this blog in 2009 I had every intention of filling it with funny stories of my crazy life as well as sharing my many interests. Then I met with my biggest challenge, a Tepper MBA. More specifically my husband starting a Tepper MBA. Caring for our two young daughters in the apartment from hell was as challenging to me as going through chemotherapy. Frankly it was the hardest thing I have gone through besides chemotherapy. After graduation came a wirlwind of moving across the U.S. over a two year period in the Eaton GLDP program. We bought a house, and I actually thought life would settle down. Of course, that is when it all went down the drain. We decided to start remodeling right when we moved in. A challenge but definitely manageable as long as life isn't too crazy. Of course, life got crazy. One month after moving in my mom found a lump in her arm pit. I flipped out. I seriously prayed that it was breast cancer not melanoma skin cancer. She had it when I was a teenager. I had seen what happened to people stage two or more with Melanoma when I was in chemo. They died quickly and painfully. One month later came the diagnosis of stage 4 melanoma. I began researching for new treatments and doctors in Las Vegas. In the end we got my mother treated by Dr. Samlowski. He extended her life four months longer then she would have had if she had stayed with her previous two oncologists. The use of an amazing new drug Zelboraf shrunk her tumors in days with no side effects. Unfortunately it eventually stops working. It was 8 months from finding the lump to her death on December 3, 2013. I miss her deeply. Marius from Les Miserable said it best, " There's a grief that can't be spoken". After her death I quickly finished an anatomy and physiology online course I was taking. I loved the course and took it in prep to start nursing school in the fall. The knowledge I gained in that class combined with my experiences with cancer led me to look for alternatives in improving our health. Once again, I will hope my life is settling down. I am going to resurrect my blog, post my funny life stories, decorating projects and makeup tips, but with the addition of homemade personal hygiene and cleaning recipes. I have experimented with different recipes I have found online and find these recipes to be by far the best. If any of you have one you like more or a recipe for a product that is missing, please share. Even if you are not as worried about chemicals in products as I am, I challenge you to try just one DIY product. There is a great sense of accomplishment making something yourself you never thought you could, and personalizing it to your liking. Try making your own body wash with your favorite scented essential oil. Take a bath and enjoy your creation. I promise, you will love it. Enjoy!

 

Creamy body wash/hand soap/ and even kids shampoo

 

What you will need:

1/2 cup coconut milk (in a can NOT coconut milk drinking beverage)
2/3 cup Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Castile Soap (you can use a different scent like mint which really wakes your bits up in the morning)
5 drops of Essential Oil (I use tea tree, for antibacterial and antifungal reasons, but some may prefer Lavender)
2 tsp. Vegetable Glycerin (this is the secret to suds and can be a source of additional scents you want to add)
              I mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and then add the glycerin after it has been melted in a cup in the microwave. It only takes seconds to melt glycerin. Use liquid if you can find it. Add immediately to mixture and mix well. I then put it into a glass mason jar and store it in the refrigerator.  I only put a weeks worth of soap into pump bottles in the bathroom and kitchen, since coconut milk can start to turn if left out for weeks. I make a triple batch and just refill my bottles as needed. LOVE it! My skin is so soft. I use it on my children and their hair feels amazing. Enjoy!

 

 

Alvin Corn Homemade Glass Cleaner

• 1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
• 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 c. warm water

Just mix and go!

Kitchen disinfectant cleaner

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons dish detergent
• 1 liter (4 cups) of hot water
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 1/8 cup of rubbing alcohol

 

Sprinkle baking soda on really dirty surfaces and use cleaner to make a scrubbing paste. Let sit and simply wipe clean. My oven surfaces have never looked cleaner. I saw hard water stains removed from sink surfaces that store bought products couldn’t remove. Love this combo.

 

Multipurpose Bathroom Disinfectant Cleaner
Here’s a good all-purpose disinfectant that is as easy to use and effective as any commercial bathroom cleaner but much less expensive.

• 2 teaspoons borax

• 1/2 teaspoon washing soda
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3 cups very hot water
• 1 clean 24-ounce spray bottle

1. Combine the borax, washing soda, lemon juice, and vinegar in the spray bottle.

2. Slowly add the hot water, and then vigorously shake the bottle until the powdered ingredients have dissolved. Shake the bottle before each use.

3. Spray on tile and ceramic surfaces and wipe with a damp, clean cloth.

Laundry detergent

Ingredients

• 1 cup Borax

• 1 cup washing soda
• 1 bar laundry bar (Felthsnap or Dr. Bronners bar soap)

Grate laundry bar soap with cheese grater. Thoroughly stir together for 5 minutes and enjoy the results! Store in a sealed container with a small scoop.

To Use

Use 1 Tbsp per load (or 2-3 Tbsp for large or heavily soiled loads). Vinegar can be used as a rinse agent.

There is also a recipe to turn this into a liquid detergent. Either can be used in a front load washer.

Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

·                   1 cup borax

·                   1 cup washing soda

·                   1/2 cup citric acid

·                   1/2 cup kosher salt (for scrubbing action)

Use 1 Tbsp per load (you can use a heaping tablespoon if you feel the need, but we do not).

Each batch yields 24 ounces of detergent. Feel free to double the batch, or multiply to create any amount you’d like. Allow to sit overnight open to allow citric acid to dry out a bit to prevent clumping of mixture. Some recommend just adding it separately to washer and not in detergent to prevent clumping of mixture. Can also be turned to cubes. That recipe to follow….

Additional cleaning…

Murphy’s oil soap is not only an excellent natural cleaner for wood floors but also for leather and vinyl furniture, It is a natural degreaser for oil based stains in laundry and in the kitchen. Read the back panel for all of its uses.

 

Baking Soda!!!! This stuff is amazing! I use it in place of comet, toilet bowel cleaner, oven cleaner, hard water stain cleaner, carpet deodorizer, smell absorber, etc. Buy it in bulk and put it in a container it can be sprinkled with. I have seen a parmesan cheese container used, but prefer my cute refurbed cookie container. I keep my cooking baking soda separate from my cleaning.

 

As you can see the same ingredients are used in multiple products. I recommend buying in bulk. I find all items at Wal-Mart or my higher end grocery store. Citric acid is the only product that needs to be bought online. Be sure that you are buying basic ingredients. For example, Dr. Bonners has Castile hand soap is not the same as Dr. Bronners castile soap. Same for coconut milk in a can and coconut milk in beverage form. Basically, you are getting a lot more ingredients than what the recipe calls for.  Fill free to personalize recipes to your liking. Just be careful not to mix ingredients that may conflict or be dangerous in cleaning products. You may notice a lot of products not listed above like dryer sheets and lotion. That is because I decided to stop using these products altogether. Haven’t missed them at all. Less is more sometimes. I still use store bought toothpaste, deodorant and adult shampoo, but only natural brands. I recommend Jason’s toothpaste and deodorant. Please fill free to add any of your favorite homemade recipes.

Have Fun!