DIY- Natural Hand Sanitizer

It's that yucky time of they year, where it seems that everyone around us has some kind of cold. And I don't know about you but if we get sick here it's just no fun when it runs its course through 7 people. We usually have 1 or 2 that seem to miss it.  

I am one of those moms that cleans the grocery cart before I put my hands or my little guy in it. I don not alt all like to use those harsh sprays or chemical filled wipes. I do use them if I forget my sanitizer spray. I just make sure it drys completely before I put my little one in the cart.

So what today's post is for is to help with keeping our families from getting sick or spreading their sickness. For those times when you don't have a sink around. 

This recipe is for hand sanitizer. It's safe to use and not worry about all those harsh ingredients in the commercial brands. You can also use it on small scraps and boo boos you get when away from home. 

Natural Hand Sanitizer 

Here is what you will need. 

Aloe Vera gel

Witch Hazel

Essential oils (I used germ fighter from Plant Therapy) lavender and tea tree oils work great for this. 

And a glass spray bottle. I used 4 oz bottle I ordered from Plant Therapy. 

I don't really measure when I make this. So what I do is first add the aloe Vera gel. I fill the bottle 1/3 full with it. 

Next I add 15 drops of essential oils. If you are using lavender and tea trea I would use 10 drops of lavender and 5 of tea tree. 

Now fill it the rest of the way up with witch hazel. Add the lid and shake well. 

I shake it each time I use it. 

Now if you are using Young Living oils you would use Thieves  oil. The Germ Figher is the Thieves of Plant Therapy. 

Fun Fact: the story behind Theives oil or Grem fighter is it was used by robbers and thieves (why the name is thieves) during medieval times to protect them from the plague and othe diseases of their victims. 

Interesting huh? 

If you are wondering what oils are in the Germ fighter and have them on hand you can just add them. They are lemon,clove,eucalyptus,cinnamon, and rosemary essential oils. Make sure to use pure essential oils. Not the fragrance oils. 

I love using essential oils for many things. I am always hoping that more and more families will start using natural products instead of the yucky stuff filled with chemicals that research is still unsure of long term effects when used for long periods of times. Yes, essential oils are I guess chemicals but we know where they come from. The plant parts. They are very strong and very concentrated so you will need to do a little research of your own before you use them. I will never recommend putting them directly on your skin unless diluted with something like a carrier oil. There is one I do use without a carrier oil and that is lavender. I have done some research and found it is safe for an adult to do so but before you do this do a test spot. Well that was a little info on some essential oils. If you want to know more research it buy some books and don't get sucked into the hype of you have to buy a $50 bottle of essential oil to know it is pure. There are a few companies out there that sell high quality oils for affordable prices. I am not affiliated with any of them but here are a few I use. Plant Therapy, Barefut, and Young Living. 

I hope you enjoyed this DIY post. 

God Bless,

Jen

Natural Tooth paste

Well first things first I am so excited to share these products from Radiantly You!!

My first one I want to share with you is tooth paste.

I have tried many natural tooth pastes and they are fine. But some of the "natural" ones well still have some things you don't want in them. I don't know a ton about all ad things for us but I do know that this tooth paste will not harm you *smile*

Here is what is in it.

Say no to nasty, damaging additives and yes to natural, organic tooth care! This is a smooth blend of natural oils and flavorings that will clean your teeth like no other toothpaste you've tried. The freshness of baking soda cleans the surface of your teeth and the flavors of Organic Vanilla, Mint and Stevia add a freshness to this toothpaste!

Healing you with: Baking Soda, Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil*, Vanilla Stevia*, Natural Mint Flavor   *Certified Organic So there it is not a ad thing in it!     Well first thing you might notice is that it comes in a tub and not a tube. This was kinda silly I thought at first, but now I understand. It wouldn't come out of a tube.   You rub you wet tooth brush on it and brush away.   The next thing that got me was the taste....... Salty from the baking soda.  It took about a week to get used to. But it completely worth  the cleanness of my teeth and they are whiter, Bonus!!   If you ask a dentist they will tell you the best thing to brush with is baking soda.   I have not had anyone else in the family try this yet but that is because I need to order another one. I don't think that my family would be able to share. I would let them share with me I don't think that it would gross like I am sure they would think. Or I could use some kind of scraper that they could just scrap from the tub and put it on their tooth brush.   I hope you drop by and see what all there is on my website.   God Bless, Jen  

Natural Dishwashing detergent

I don't know about you all but trying to find a natural dishwashing detergent that actually works for the dishwasher that is not really expensive is hard to find.

Well even some of the expensive ones don't work. *sigh*

I hate the way that sometimes the dishes still have the smell of the soap still on them. I  pretty sure that can not be healthy.

I have looked up many recipes to find one. But most have ingredients that to buy it is expensive and it may not work so I just have not been able to bite the bullet and fork over the money. 

Well I found something that works great!

And only has.... Wait for it........ 2 ingredients!!! ( you read that right)

I bet you have them in your house right now.

I'm not kidding.

So here they are

Dish soap

Baking soda

That's it. 

Now before you go off and try this read carefully or you will have soap suds all over you kitchen floor. (Not fun)

Step 1: load your icky stinky dishes

Step 2: now read carefully add 2-3 drops of natural dish soap. I used seventh generation. If you do more it will not be pretty. 

Step 3: put baking soda in. I do it right with the dish soap and put some extra in the bottom of the dishwasher. 

Step 4: turn it on. 

That's it! I promise!! 

One thing that I noticed is, you know that stinky weird smell in the dishwasher, it is gone! Whooooohooooo!! 

Well that's my tip for the day. I hope this helps you all become a little more "crunchy" and frugal. 

God Bless,

Jen

Making Breakfast easy

Okay making it easier.

So we struggle with getting Brooke and Vince to eat something healthy or at all in the morning. Since Brooke is the only one going to Public school and has to be there at 5:30 am for cheerleading practice. I am not going to wake up and cook her something.. So what she does in eat toast most days or dry cereal well that is not going to keep her going until lunch time. Then there is my wonderful husband that will go to the gas station to pick up a coke and a roll smh…..

So I would like to share a few ideas for the morning rush to help you out.

Breakfast Burritos

I made about 20 smaller burritos with this.

• 1/2 pound pork sausage (or whatever sausage )
• 12 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• shredded cheese
• And any other toppings. (my kiddos are very picky when it comes to peppers and things like that so I just don’t add them but I am sure it would make them yummy)

Brown sausage. What I do is cook the whole 1 pound package and only use half of it and save it for something else. Remove from pan scramble eggs add salt and pepper. When those are done mix back into the pan the sausage.

I then laid a few tortillas on the counter and added a couple of scoops of the egg and meat mixture and then sprinkled some cheese. I then rolled them up and wrapped them with plastic wrap. You then can freeze or put them in the frig.

To heat just pop in the micro wave and enjoy.

Waffles

I make up a few batches of these let them cool laying them on a cooling rack. After the cool completely I put them in zip lock bags of servings sizes of 2 then freeze. Just take them out and put them in the toaster. We have to toast ours 2 times.

Breakfast cookie

I make up 2 batches of these and freeze some and if you just set them out the night before or even just a few seconds in the microwave.

 

We really try to stay away from processed cereal but some days we just have to eat it. I hope you can take something from these ideas and help your mornings go smoother. 

 

God Bless,

Jen

The impact of Woman

I don’t know about you but there are days that I feel insignificant when I “just” stay home. The days that all I am is the person who does the laundry or the one who makes the food. In those times I still need to realize that I are doing what God has asked of me. That is to be a Helpmeet to my husband. This includes those things and so much more. Remembering that I am training up children to enter into this world one day on their own and I pray that they will always follow Jesus example the way we have taught them.
God Bless,
Jen

My Cleaning Schedule

 

I love this saying by Martin Luther~ “ What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in Heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not an account of position or work, but an account of the word of faith from which the obedience and work flows".”

I wanted to start this off with this saying from Martin Luther because it has such great encouragement for us women. Once I realized that keeping a house clean is not for me but it is for my Lord and my family cleaning became more enjoyable. As I clean I listen to up beat worship music and praise the Lord while I work. I do it as if I were up in Heaven. Now to do this we have to think differently about cleaning, then just cleaning up and then watching it get messed up again. We have to do it as if the Lord will be here in our homes. If you think about it He is always in our homes. Now isn't it easier to relax and invite the Lord into our hearts and to enjoy time with our families if our house is not full of clutter and dirt. I hope I can help you make this a bit easier for you. I am going to give you my cleaning schedule that I use that you can change it up to what works best for you.

I have 2 sections to this one is My weekly schedule and my daily up keep. First off I am going to start with my weekly schedule. Just remember that these are for my house just change it up to fit you.

Weekly Schedule

Monday : Bathroom ~ tub, toilet, sink. floors, shelf, mirror, wash trashcan out, Straighten up under sink I also clean up my laundry room this day too.

Tuesday : Bedrooms – wash bedding (hang out quilts to air out I only wash them when they need it) organize dressers , dust, trash, and vacuum.

Wednesday : Kitchen ~  (addition to daily up keep) Organize pantry, clean frig and microwave. Oven once a month. coffee pot, wipe down appliances & cupboards, wipe down trash cans and organize 1-2 drawers.

Thursday : Living room entry way & halls – Vacuum, dust, mop, pull out furniture, wipe walls and make menu for the week.

Friday : grocery and errand day  This is the day I do my errands and we sometimes go to the grocery store.

Saturday : Outside work – Clean up trash in yard that has blown in, pull weeds, mow, clean out dog pin, organize toys, clean out cars,

Sunday : Spend the day with the family and rest.

When you break the rooms up thru out the week it makes it a lot easier to tackle. After you get thru your house the first time and you do your daily up keep the weekly cleaning will not take much time at all. Some people have a dining room and more then one bathroom. I also have the children help me out with each job. especially the bedrooms. I work in there with them and we get the room done in no time at all.

Daily Up Keep

Make Beds ~ if kids can do this let them make them

Laundry ~ 2 loads per day Monday ~ Friday, wipe down washer and dryer, fold and put away clothes straight away.

Dishes ~ after each meal, sweep floor after each meal, wipe counter and table off

10 minute tidy ~ set timer 3 times a day and pick and area to tidy up

Shed Junk ~ Set timer for 10 minutes to tackle one area that you need to shed junk. If its not pretty or useful toss it.

This daily up keep is essential to keeping the house in order each day. You may not have time to do 3 sets of 10 minute tidy but try. I love my kitchen timer it actually makes us work faster. It is kind of fun watching the kids working fast to do the 10 minute tidy's. It makes it feel like it is not too much to do.

When I do the dishes I make sure I sweep the floors and wipe down the counters and the table after each meal.

As for laundry you may not have to do 2 loads per day or maybe you have to do more then 2 each day. But to figure this out do 2 loads per day Monday – Friday and then you should know if you need to do more or less. There will be those days that you have to do more then 2 because of a night time accident or sick babies.

Shedding Junk is very important. The less stuff you have then less mess you make.

I hope this helps you all in some way. If you you one or all of these ideas. I didn’t make these up myself I have gotten them from many wonderful blogs written by women that love the Lord and take there job as a homemaker and help meet to heart.

I love my calling the Lord has given me. A Help meet for my wonderful husband and a homemaker. I take this calling very seriously. But first and for most I love my Heavenly Father. As I follow Him he teaches me to be a better help meet and homemaker. He helps me understand that this job here on earth of being a wife and mother is more important then bringing extra money into our home for all the extra stuff. This is why we live only with in our means. We do not have new cars, fancy furniture, big t.v.’s, or take big trips. We are saving up for a big family trip that we will take maybe in a few years but we will wait and that is alright with us. It took us a while to get used to living the way we do but I believe that most mothers can stay home if they just pray and listen to what God tells you to change. There are some that have no other choice and I hope that this schedule can help you get your house in order or makes it easier to keep up.

God Bless,

Jen

Our daily Schedule

Just thought I would share a couple of pictures and our daily schedule. We are in the full swing of school this year. During the summer we have been doing more of a relaxed schooling and now it is time to buckle down and get some serious work done. Okay so not that ruff. But we are doing more of a scheduled day. So here is what our schedule looks like on days where nothing get mixed up.

• 5:00 am wake up Brooke for School / cheerleading practice
• 5:25 am take Brooke to school
• 6:00 am personal Bible time
• 7:00 am shower and get ready for the day
• 7:30 am start a load of wash
• 7:45 start breakfast
• 8:00 am wake boys up
• 8:30 eat breakfast
• 9:00 am ~ 10:00 am morning chores
• 10:00 am I read Bible story to boys
• After I read bible time we start the rest of school. We start with Math including flash cards (memorization is very important). I teach the lesson then they work on it. Next we start Language Arts, spelling, While Vinny does his reading lesson Will does his reading lesson with me.
• 12:00pm they both read while I am making lunch
• 12:30 pm eat lunch
• 12:45 pm Vinny leaves for band at the middle school
• While Vinny is gone I help Will finish up school. We work on science and social studies. Usually he is done with school by the time Vinny returns from Band.
• 1:45 pm Vinny returns and we do science and social studies he then finishes up anything he needs to finish then he practices his instrument. (when he decides what he wants to play)
• After everyone is done with school it is free time for them and for me it is time to do my homemaking chores that I didn’t get finished in the morning.
• If your wondering about Croix he does his school things right along side of me. There is usually time in between me teaching the boys something and them doing there work on their own that is when I do Croix’s Kindergarten. If you think about Kindergarten it really is mostly play along with some sit down learning. He is doing well. He is right on track. I am not pushing him at all I let him lead his learning. He is very excited about learning. I haven't had to tell him yet that it is time to get started on school he is sitting next to me waiting for me to help him start the next thing. I want to make sure he loves to learn and not to start thinking it is a chore. Learning is a life long process.

This is Will working on his Language arts. Do you see our sticking our charts behind Will these are incentive charts. We have them for good behavior and for finishing Books. Each sticker earns so much money. 

Here is Vinny reading out of his science text book. We read this together out loud. I feel like he retains more information when he reads out loud. We then notebook what he learns. This really helps him retain the information. I do the same with Will.

Well that is what our school day looks like. There are days we need to go to the library for library class, field trips, doctors appointments, grocery store and well what ever else life brings to our days. I do have to say that a schedule does help us stay on track. It helps daily life go smoother.

God Bless,

Jen

No more acne for me!!!!

Just thought I would share a great help that I found for acne.  First off I would like to tell you I had no problems with acne until I turned 30 and after that it was horrible! I went from having a clear face to those big painful zits. Not just on my face they were on my neck and back also.
So I was reading a natural remedy site and saw all of these ideas.  I was overwhelmed by all the ideas. I am one of those people that does not need a 5 minute face cleaning 3 times a day. So I picked the easiest thing and tweeked it a bit.
What I do every morning before bed is take a washcloth and wet it with water and wipe my face and neck off.  I then take a cotton round and put a bit of organic apple cider vinegar on it and wipe again with that. I know it stinks it takes about 20 minutes for the stink to be all gone. Its really not that bad.
The first night they were smaller then got smaller each day. Now today I have a couple along my chin and that is because I have a habit of touching my face there.
I hope this can help someone. And you need to get the organic kind like the picture the stuff at Walmart is not even real. It is the culture in the organic vinegar that makes this work.

God Bless,

Jen