I don’t know if you’ve been caught up in the Candy Crush craze, but I am totally addicted. It’s my favorite guilty pleasure right now. I’m stuck at level 245 this week and it feels like I’m never going to get past it! I had to laugh at myself, (if you dont laugh, you’ll cry, right?) so I made this over at someecards for all my fellow Candy Crush junkies!

I am soooo excited! About a year ago while researching pallet gardening I stumbled upon a form of gardening on Pinterest called Straw Bale Gardening. I was intrigued, and decided to do some research. I’ve spent the past year reading everything I could about straw bale gardening, and today it finally all came together–I planted my first straw bale garden!

The premise goes like this: straw is an excellent planting material. Straw is weed free, it holds water well without being air tight, it gives plants’ roots good air circulation, it decomposes slightly over time and creates a perfect environment for a garden. Even better, when bales are set upright together, it creates an instant raised garden bed. No digging, no weeding, minimal watering, no boxes to build, nothing special to do, just plant and go! The bales can be put anywhere–even on concrete! Instant garden, wherever you want it, and it’s all earth-friendly. That’s a win for me!

So here’s how you start: you grab a couple of bales from your local garden center. (Also check farmer’s markets and craigslist for good sources.) I have 15 bales, because I’m planting a larger garden. Every day for the first ten days you sprinkle some fertilizer (I used bone meal) on top of the bales and water in well, to get the decomposition process started. The bales will heat up and begin composting internally. Don’t worry about messing this up–nature will do most of the work for you. After about two weeks, your bales should be ready to plant in! They won’t be finished compost inside, but they will be good to plant in. If you want to direct sow seeds, I suggest spreading a little potting soil or compost on top of the bales, about 1/4″ thick, and planting into that. The seeds will germinate in the soil and extend their roots down into the bales. Please note that I am only using straw bales, not hay bales. Hay bales are more expensive and full of seeds, which will fill your garden with all kinds of unintended weeds. Straw bales are mostly weed-free, one of the big pluses for straw bale gardening.

Anything you can plant in dirt, you can plant in straw. Above is a photo of my garden today. It’s a little early in my neck of the woods to be planting–we normally wait until after Derby Day. But even though we’ve had frost advisories at night, it is safe to go ahead and plant in my straw bale garden. Why? Because the bales produce enough heat themselves as they’re decomposing that they protect the plants from the cold. Plus, the early heat speeds the plant growth! Every night I cover the bales with a little bit of clear plastic, which will create a kind of greenhouse effect, trapping in the heat overnight. In the morning as the sun rises, I pull the plastic back so the sun doesn’t burn the plant leaves.

So far I’ve planted ten tomatoes, six basil, garlic and a bunch of peppers. I’m taking a break, then in a little while I will be planting my potatoes, onions, beans and strawberries in another section of the garden. In a week or so I will plant my pumpkin and watermelon seeds, along with sunflowers and other flowers. One of the beauties of straw bales is that not only can you plant directly on top of the straw, but you can plant in the side of the straw bales too! So I will have some plants on top, and some (like potatoes and strawberries) planted in the sides of the bales. It’s a great way to make full use of every square inch of the garden!

I can’t take credit for this idea. I’ve read the book Straw Bale Gardening from cover to cover and have loved it. The author also has a website, StrawBaleGardens.com. He’s full of great information!

I’m really excited. I planted in containers last year and had a good result, but I’d like to do a lot more this year. I’ve spent the past couple of months researching companion planting, along with ways to store the produce I grow. My goal this year is not only to have fresh produce through the summer, but to produce and store a majority of my produce for the winter months as well. A lot of planning has gone into this–it feels good to finally get my hands dirty!

One of the hardest parts of transitioning to a mostly natural, whole-foods diet for my family last year was giving up frozen pizza. JD is an extremely picky eater, and cheese pizza was a staple for him. Frozen pizzas made nights when I was too tired to cook or we were in a hurry a lot easier for us. It also meant I knew I always had something on hand that he would eat. But I also knew they were full of all kinds of yucky nitrites, chemicals, and other processed foods. I’d made my own pizza dough before but it never rose well, so we ended up with okay but thin pizzas. My kids like good, chewy crusts, so it meant we either ordered pizza or had frozen pizza–neither of which really fit with the whole foods lifestyle I was trying to adopt. It was a rough few months as I eliminated pizza from our diet.

But then my friend Sherry recommended I check out the pizza dough recipe from the Five Minute Artisan Bread cookbook–and everything changed! Not only is this dough SUPER easy to make (NO KNEADING!!!) but it also is the best tasting pizza dough I’ve ever had! It rises nicely without kneading, and has a great flavor. I use whole food ingredients as toppings to keep it healthy. This one even has kale on it! Who knew kale would taste great on a pizza? I have loved kale most of my life, but I’d never thought to try it on pizza. It was really yummy and complimented the other flavors well.

This is one of our staples now at home–I make fresh pizza once a week. This particular recipe is loaded with good stuff: olive oil, kale, cherry tomatoes, roasted chicken, feta cheese, mozzarella, olives, fresh basil and italian parsley. Yum, yum, YUM! This dough recipe makes enough for four pizzas, so I’ll make two pizzas (plain cheese for the kids) and freeze the dough for two more for the next week. You can also roll out the dough for all four now, put on your freezer-friendly toppings and freeze it whole if you’d like. Then let come to room temperature before baking. Note that when it says “Five Minute Artisan Dough” they mean five minutes of work for you–there is a good one to two hours needed for the dough to rise.

This recipe is from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. I highly recommend the book–the bread recipes in there are fantastic!

Ingredients:

Pizza dough

• 2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast (2 packets)
• 1 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Toppings  (adjust toppings according to your taste)

• 3 leaves fresh Kale
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (any tomatoes work, just slice them)
• 6 leaves fresh basil
• 2 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, broken into chunks or shredded
• handful of olives, sliced (optional)

Recipe:

Pizza Dough

1. In a glass bowl, mix the lukewarm water and the yeast and let it proof for about five minutes. If it foams, it is ready to use. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is bad and the dough will not rise. Throw out the mixture and start again with fresh yeast.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, or in a large (5 quart) bowl working with a wooden spoon, mix the yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil together.

Seven months ago I stumbled upon a natural face wash that revolutionized my skin care regiment. I thought it was very cruel that at age 40 I was suffering from both mild acne breakouts and wrinkles! I stumbled upon several discussions of how honey is a miracle cure for both acne and wrinkles, and I was intrigued. I decided to give it a try–after all, I had honey sitting in my cabinet and thought nothing ventured, nothing gained. I expected it to be really sticky and messy, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that if your hands and face are damp, the honey isn’t sticky at all. It has been a true miracle in skincare for me!

Why Honey?

As I’ve read up on why so many people use either plain honey or honey mixed with a couple of other ingredients, I’ve learned a lot about the health properties of honey.

Honey is rich in glycolic acids. These are the natural acids used in expensive face creams and treatments to remove past sun damage and scarring. overlooked pantry staple has a whole lot going on under the hood. Honey has been a beauty trick of some of the most beautiful women in history, including Cleopatra.

Here’s what honey does for the skin:

• Honey is naturally antibacterial, making it an excellent treatment for those who are acne-prone.
• Honey is a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture on the face.
• Honey is gentle, so it is good even for those with sensitive skin. (Like me!)
• Honey tightens pores in the skin.
• Honey brightens up skin, giving it a youthful appearance.

How is it Used?

There are three main methods to using honey as a face wash, and I’ve tested all of them.

1. The simplest method is the one I use most often–simply slather a tablespoon or two of raw, organic honey onto your face. Let it sit for 60 seconds or so, then wipe off gently with a warm wet cloth. It isn’t nearly as sticky as it sounds. Surprisingly enough with hands that are only slightly damp, the honey slathers easily and feels like a thick cream, not like the sticky, gooey mess that I’d expected it to be.
2. For a gentle exfoliation, use this mixture: mix 1 tsp baking soda with 2 tablespoons of honey. Spread on your face and rub gently, then wipe off gently with a warm, wet cloth. I’ve found that if you let the baking soda and honey mixture sit for a few minutes in a bowl before you use it that it will foam up ever so slightly and feels really nice on your face. I use this method once a week to exfoliate. As winter approaches, make sure to get your lips too–get that dead skin off!
3. For heavier acne or more damaged skin, try this mask: wash your face as usual to make sure it is clean. Then take a warm wet cloth and lay it over your face for a few seconds to open up your pores. Then spread a few tablespoons of honey onto your face in a thin layer. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with a warm wet cloth. Your skin will feel smooth, look brighter and your pores should appear smaller. The honey will also work on any acne or scars, working to cause them to fade quicker.

So far I’ve had amazing results. Really, I can’t believe I used to pay so much for cleansing rituals (and I still had breakouts and blotchy skin) when this inexpensive miracle cleanser has been sitting in my kitchen pantry! After two weeks of the daily face wash my age spots were almost invisible. I have to really look hard to see them–and they were pretty dark to begin with. Those little laugh lines around my eyes are getting harder and harder to spot. I’ve had NO breakouts since starting this, something I was used to getting periodically. My skin isn’t blotchy anymore, with enough of a change that I don’t mind going out without makeup from time to time. And my skin is smooth–and soft. Oh so smooth and soft!!

I do use organic honey, but it was what I had on hand. I’m told that it works best but that the regular honey you buy in the store will work as well–just not quite as well.  I spent $6 on my bottle of organic honey, and I expect it to last me several months.

Have you ever tried honey for your face? What have your results been?

“Ewww….Really?” That is usually the first response I get when I tell people that I use egg yolks to wash my hair. Then they start studying my hair looking for signs of eggs. I’ve gotten used to it, but I’m here to tell you, egg yolks–they ROCK. I started using the egg yolks a year ago, as I was experimenting with different no-shampoo methods. While I loved the simplicity of baking soda to wash my hair, it wasn’t quite as thorough as I wanted during the detox period. So I tried eggs–and I’ve never looked back!

Full of protein and all kinds of good things for your hair, they also contain lecithin, a natural cleanser. Washing with egg yolks conditions your hair as it cleans it. It has been revolutionary in my journey to ditch shampoo. My hair is silky, soft, and even fluffy. I don’t know that “fluffy” is a word normally used for hair, but my hair is fluffy and light!

So here’s how it works: for my long hair I take one egg yolk and place it in a plastic cup. I poke it with a fork, to break the yolk, and scramble it for about five seconds. In the shower I will add about a quarter cup of hot water to the cup, so that it spreads evenly over my head. (Added benefit: it warms the egg so it isn’t cold against my scalp.) I pour over my head, concentrating on my scalp and the back of my head. I gently scrub it into my hair, as if I was lathering shampoo. (It doesn’t lather, but it is the same motion.) Rinse as usual. Sometimes I follow it with my usual lemon juice rinse, but it really isn’t necessary. I feel my hair getting cleaner and smoother even before I rinse it. It’s THAT good.

One of the most common questions I’m asked is “Doesn’t it feel gross?” Actually, no. I’m not much of one for slimy things, but shampoo and conditioner is pretty darned slimy themselves. The egg yolk feels a lot like thin conditioner in my hands.

Even if you’re still using shampoo, this is a great hair treatment to use once in a while! It will replenish your hair with natural proteins and make your hair really silky. If you’ve got thicker or longer hair, two yolks might be needed–but for my shoulder-length fine hair, one yolk generally is enough. I don’t recommend using the egg white to wash with. While it won’t hurt your hair, it can cook in the hot water–leaving you with rubbery white bits in your hair. Egg yolks don’t do that. I simply save my egg whites in the freezer, for use later in cakes and meringues.

If you’re interested in learning more about ditching shampoo, you can read my posts about going no ‘poo here. (No shampoo, that is.) I’ve been doing this for over a year now, and I can’t see a time when I will ever go back to washing with shampoo again. My hair is cleaner, it is healthier, it is shinier. I only have to wash it once every week or two, because I’m not putting yucky stuff into it. And I’m not having to use any products either to style it, which is a huge change from before. Sometimes I just can’t believe it is this simple!

 UPDATE: This little post has really surprised me! Far and away, it is the top post on my blog. You guys just keep clicking and clicking! I never expected this post to get much if any attention, so its been a huge surprise. We are now over 2000 pins on Pinterest for this post! I’d like to thank everyone who has shared this with your friends and family. It’s also really good to know that I’m not the only one who has struggled with these things! I think we all struggle with sugar in some ways, but some of us struggle more than others. If I can ever answer any questions, let me know!

Let’s face it: sugar tastes GOOD. From the day we are born, we are hardwired to prefer sweet foods. But for many of us, this gets way out of hand. We no longer crave only the good sweet foods like fruits, but we crave desserts, candy, sodas and more–all day long. I’ll admit, I was just as bad as anyone. In fact, this time last year I had a pretty bad sugar addiction. I could drink several large sodas a day without blinking. I’d eat a bag of candy a day–again, without even noticing I’d done so. And it seemed like the more sugar I ate, the more I wanted to eat. It was a vicious cycle. But as I began going further and further into my journey towards natural health, I began to notice patterns. If I ate a lot of sugar in a day, a couple of things happened. First, I’d develop some pretty bad gas. (oh yes, nothing like full disclosure from a blogger, eh?) My stomach would rumble for hours after eating, and I’d end up in the bathroom feeling sick. Second, a little while after eating the sugar, I’d feel sleepy. No sugar rush here–I actually became tired! Third, on especially bad days I’d find sores developing in my mouth. This had happened for years since I was a kid, but I’d never drawn a line between the sores and sugar before. Fourth, within a short bit of eating, I’d be hungry again. Very hungry! And guess what I craved? More sweet foods!

I know I’m not alone. According to government reports Americans eat on average twenty teaspoons of ADDED sugars per day! I talk to so many people day in and day out who are trying to kick the sugar habit. They may not have it as bad as I did, but they find it very hard to cut back. Sugar is one of those things that is ever-present in our foods today, way more than it was just forty or fifty years ago. Switching to artificial sweeteners isn’t the answer either, because studies have shown those to have serious affects on our health as well. Recent studies have shown that people who use artificial sweeteners–and even natural ones like Stevia–often weigh more than those who don’t. Why? The jury is still out on that, but most say it is likely because our body continues to seek the sweet tastes. I could go on all day about the reasons why we crave sugar, why it is so bad for us and how out of whack our systems have gotten. But if you’re here reading this blog, you likely already know all of those things. Instead, I’ll get down to the good parts–how to beat it.

So what can you do to kick the sugar habit? I found that with a couple of fairly simple steps, I was able to tame the sugar monster. I simply don’t crave sweets any more. This is pretty amazing, considering my serious-duty sweet tooth just a year ago! Here’s some of the steps that I’ve found really help in kicking the sugar habit.

1. Eat a teaspoon of raw honey every day. Say What??? I am supposed to eat sugar to beat sugar? Actually, it is true. It has worked for a number of people that I know. You see, raw honey is a completely different type of sugar. It is low on the glycemic index, meaning it doesn’t trigger huge releases in insulin like most sugar does. Raw honey also has natural antibacterial properties in your body, fighting bad bacteria in your digestive track that thrive on sugar. Plus, it just satisfies that mental craving. I started with a teaspoon in the morning and another at night. But make sure it is raw honey! Regular honey from the grocery store (the kind in the plastic bears) is often loaded with extra sugars and has none of the beneficial properties of raw honey. Raw honey is good for so many things, might as well stock up!

2. Add Apple Cider Vinegar to your daily diet. One reason why so many of us are “addicted” or hooked on sugary foods is because the balance of bacteria in our stomach has gotten so out of whack. When we go through long periods on antibiotics for one infection or the other, the antibiotics kill more than just the germs–they also can destroy large amounts of the good bacteria that live in our bodies. This creates a good environment for the bad bacterias to grow, especially in our gut. Many of these bad bacterias thrive on sugars, so the more you eat of the sugar, the more they multiply, and the more you crave. Apple Cider Vinegar is a great combatant to the bad bacteria flourishing in your gut. First, it changes the ph of the environment, making it less friendly for the bad guys and killing some of them off. Second, Apple Cider Vinegar is full of good things for your gut, making it a good place for the good bacteria to thrive. (Did you know that 80% of  your immune system is in your gut?) Apple Cider Vinegar taken daily is a powerful detox agent. It will not only help balance the balance in your gut, but for many people it helps their energy levels as well. Mix a teaspoon in a glass of water and drink. You can add honey to the water to sweeten it if you’d like. Do this daily, and it won’t be long until you see a difference!

3. Get your sugar fix from fruits. While cutting back on sugars is good, you are going to experience some cravings. That’s natural and totally normal! So when those sugar cravings hit, instead of reaching for the candy, grab a piece of fruit. Grapes are one of my favorites, because they are both very sweet and just a little tart. Plums are another favorite–they have a lot of flavor but only 40 calories per plum. Make sure that you are eating fruits, and not drinking them. Fruit juice is NOT the same as eating fruit!

After I started eating honey twice a day in small amounts, I was astounded to find that I no longer craved sugar. I was able to eat half a candy bar and be satisfied, instead of two to three candy bars at once. If you’d told me a year ago that Halloween would come and I wouldn’t be dying to dive into the big giant bowl of candy, I would never have believed you. But it is true! I went to the store yesterday for our bags of candy to hand out at Halloween. I wandered the aisles like I normally do, looking for something I thought I’d like. Surprisingly, nothing looked good. I ended up buying glow lights and two bags of candy to hand out–and have had no desire to go near the candy.

I have been amazed how much of a difference I feel in my body since kicking the sugar habit. I have more energy on a daily basis. I don’t have the bad gas anymore–something that I was convinced was genetic. The mouth sores went away and haven’t been back. I can’t even finish a small glass of Sprite any more. It’s too sweet! I can enjoy cakes and desserts in small pieces, without feeling cheated or like I’m “dieting.” In reality I really don’t want the big piece of dessert. It just doesn’t taste good after a few bites.

I really hope this helps someone else to kick the sugar habit like I did! Let me know if you struggle with sugar, and how you’ve battled it.

I’ve been a knitting fool lately! I’ve determined that this year I am making as many of my gifts as I possibly can, and so I’ve been very busy with different projects. My favorite projects so far have been my yarn projects. I am by no means coordinated or talented with knitting needles, but I love the idea of making my own scarves, hats and more. I’ve known how to knit and crochet since I was a teenager, but I was never able to finish a project. My hands would cramp up, I’d drop stitches, or I’d get bored before a project was done.  Telling me to “purl” was like speaking a foreign language. Then one day I saw my mom using the knifty knitter loom and I was hooked–literally! Not only is it really, really simple, to do, but loom projects knit up quickly. As in, I do it while watching television every night and within a week I’ve got a finished scarf. Overall it probably takes me 6-8 hours total to knit up an extra long scarf. If I keep my yarns thick and my stitches basic, I can get that down to three or four hours. In other words: it’s not too late to make knitted gifts for Christmas!

Now, before you tell me you can’t knit, let me tell you that this is WAY simpler than crochet or using two knitting needles. Remember making potholders on looms? Or making small decorative rugs with a hook? This is that simple–butlooks just like traditional knitting. Really. LittleMissSunshine regularly uses looms to pop out socks, hats and scarves for her American Girl doll. My eight year old is better at this than I am. And trust me when I say that I am NOT coordinated in any way. If I can loom knit, anyone can!

There are many great tutorials out there on how to use a loom, so I’m not going to go into that right now. (My favorites are at LoomKnitting.com.) I did want to go over some of the basics, and share some tips I’ve learned along the way.

Types of looms

There are two basic types of looms: a straight loom or a circular loom. Both are very useful, depending on what it is you want to make most. I’m a huge fan of the straight loom, because I like to make scarves, wraps and washcloths. The straight looms are also great for anything you want to be double knit, like thick, fluffy scarves. I have spent most of my time knitting on the straight loom, but I am beginning to learn to use the circular looms. Circular looms are great for hats, socks, slippers, leg warmers and boot socks, amongst other things. I made my first pair of boot socks last week–took me about four hours to make the pair. I am currently using a round loom to make a ribbed cowl scarf, in a flat panel. (Meaning I knit around the loom but don’t join it at the ends.) You can see both the straight loom and the circular loom in the photo at the top of the post. Both projects in the photo are infiniti scarves or cowls. The purple scarf on the round loom is a rib knit, an intermediate level stitch. The straight loom is a double knit, in a braid stitch. You can buy the looms separately for about $12-15 each, or order the whole set of Knifty Knitter looms for $21 on Amazon. Most craft stores also carry them for the same price.

How to loom knit

Loom knitting is very simple. There are more complex stitches, but for the basic stitch, it is very simple: wrap the yarn around the pegs, one after the other. This is called “casting on.” (The looms come with good instructions.) Do this all the way around the loom once. Now, go around again, and when you’re done, pull the bottom loop up over the top loop, and off the peg, leaving the top loop on the peg. This is the most basic stitch, called an e-wrap. Here’s what it looks like:

This is all you do. I wrap each peg in the row, then hook it and pull it one by one over the peg. Then repeat for the next row. It is really simple! You simply keep going until your project is finished. This is known as the stockingette stitch. As you get comfortable with this stitch, check YouTube for tutorials on how to create rib knit and other more advanced stitches.

Yarns

This is where I get into trouble–big trouble. I walk into a store and see all the gorgeous, soft yarns and have trouble making up my mind! I always end up buying more yarns than I should. Standing in front of those rows of beautiful yarns my creative juices start flowing, and I want to knit all day long!

With loom knitting you’re most likely going to want to use a chunkier yarn. Thin yarns work okay, but they have gaps between the wide-set pegs, and so it comes out looking a bit lacey. Thick and chunky yarns knit up tightly, and quickly. If you want to use a thinner yarn, try doubling up the strands. That works about the same as a thicker yarn.  That said, some looms have thinner pegs that are closer set together, designed for the thinner yarns. These are excellent for more delicate work, like for socks or baby clothing. These are often called Knitting Boards.

Moving Beyond the Basics

There’s a lot more you can knit than just hats and scarves! Using the larger looms in your sets you can knit blankets, shawls, wraps, sweaters and so much more!  I learned a while back how to make purses, cases and bags with my straight loom. Earlier this year I used the same technique to knit up a case for my Kindle. Over the summer I used the loom to quickly knit up some mesh-type produce bags for when I go to the farmer’s market. If you search the internet you’ll find thousands of patterns and tutorials for lots of great projects.

Do you loom knit? Do you have a favorite project? Share it with us in the comments below. Or, if you’re new to loom knitting and have questions, let me know! I would love to help you learn, if I can.

Have you ever seen those fancy lotion bars at craft fairs or expensive beauty boutiques? They look so pretty and smell SO good! They promise all kinds of great benefits for your skin over the stuff you buy at the department store counter. But here’s a little secret: while they are fantastic for your skin, you don’t need to pay the high price!  They are very simple to make, use only a few all-natural ingredients. You can make them yourself at home with only a few minutes of time!

I’ve read a lot of recipes for making your own lotion bars, and frankly, I think most make it way too complicated. I kept mine simple. I chose beeswax, shea butter and sweet almond oil for mine. Beeswax is an excellent skin softener, acting as both a humectant and a protectant for your skin. Beeswax is high in vitamin A, and is excellent for irritated or dry skin. Shea Butter is excellent for damaged skin, often used to treat burns, and used in many expensive creams to promote cell regeneration and circulation for aging skin. Sweet Almond Oil is high in vitamins E and B, one of nature’s best moisturizers. These three alone will do wonders for your skin!  If you’ve never used a lotion bar before, they’re very simple: you let the bar sit in your hand for a few seconds to warm up, then rub gently along your skin. You will get deep moisture that really lasts from a good lotion bar, unlike cream lotions that typically evaporate or need frequent reapplication.

As you can see I made mine in different shapes. Some went into the heart shaped molds you see below, while others went into the snowflake molds in the photo above. I was impressed with how quick the process was, from beginning to end. I wrapped these up and gave them away as Christmas gifts. My friends have raved about how nice they smell and how smooth their skin now feels. The heart shaped mold is from IKEA–these would make great Valentine’s Day gifts!

Ingredients:

• 1 part beeswax
• 1 part shea butter
• 1 part almond oil
• 30-40 drops essential oils (optional)
• Silicone molds, like for ice cubes or baking

Directions:

1.  Using a double boiler, add water to the bottom pan and set to boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the beeswax to the top pan and cover the pan. Stir occasionally until it is fully melted.

2. Add in your almond oil and stir well to blend.

3. Add in any essential oils you desire. I used a blend of myrrh, jasmine and bergamot. I added 20 drops of myrrh, and ten of each of the others.

4.  Add in the shea butter. Stir continuously until fully melted. Shea butter can be finicky, so once it is melted do not let it sit on the stove for too much longer.

5. Pour the mixture into your molds, filling to the top.

6. Set aside in a cool area. They should begin to harden quickly. Mine are usually fully set  in about an hour.

7. Remove gently from the molds and enjoy!

Beeswax has a lovely soft scent of its own, so no oils are needed, unless you want them for your own purposes. I chose these three because they all help reduce stress and aide in relaxation. Myrrh also has natural anti-bacterial properties, so it will help kill any germs and heal wounds. If you’ve never smelled myrrh, it has a lovely deep, woodsy scent without being overpowering.

I did keep a couple of these for myself, and love the soft scent of them. It is such a nice ritual after a long shower or bath to smell these. I love that they not only soften and smooth my skin, but that they protect it from the harsh winter cold too!

UPDATE: Since writing this in January, I’ve found so many more uses for these!

• They are wonderful on eczema! If you’ve been buying tons of creams for eczema, you don’t need to. This is thick like Aquafor but has none of the chemicals or harsh ingredients. This also costs a lot less!
• This is wonderful as a hair butter on ethnic or coarse hair types. Rub some on your hands until they’re fairly well coated, then rub through your hair. It is a deep moisturizer that should give you some styling control but not weigh down your hair too much.
• This is hands down one of the best lip balms I’ve ever used.

Have you ever walked away from something that you loved, just for a short time, and then found it really, really hard to pick it back up again? That’s me and blogging.

I know that I really, really, REALLY love blogging. I need blogging! But once I step away, it is hard to pick it back up again. It’s like I’ve stepped back into a conversation and don’t know where my line is.

After seven years of blogging on an almost daily basis, I needed the break. I spent three months exploring new ideas, trying new recipes, and learning new things. I had a lot of FUN! I also spent a good deal of time practicing this new balance between work and rest, purposefully taking a slower pace of life. I have learned it’s hard for chaos to have a place in your life if you are consistently taking time to slow down and rest. But now I’m itching to get back to work, sharing what I know and love, but I don’t know quite how to break that ice. Every time I’d sit down to write again, my ADHD swarms my head with all the great things I want to tell you about, and I descend into a giant brain fog. There’s so much to share!

So for the next week, I’m going to run a series of my top posts here on the blog. These are posts that continue to get hundreds of views a day, and remain popular months after I’ve written them. I’m going to take this next week to sit and write new posts, and kind of break the ice a bit. I really love and appreciate all of you who have left comments and sent me emails checking in on me, making sure I hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth. Thank you for that!

So, sit back, enjoy–I’ll see you in a week! Until then, here are a few photos that I’ve taken recently!

Have you ever seen those fancy lotion bars at craft fairs or expensive beauty boutiques? They look so pretty and smell SO good! They promise all kinds of great benefits for your skin over the stuff you buy at the department store counter. But here’s a little secret: while they are fantastic for your skin, you don’t need to pay the high price!  They are very simple to make, use only a few all-natural ingredients. You can make them yourself at home with only a few minutes of time!

I’ve read a lot of recipes for making your own lotion bars, and frankly, I think most make it way too complicated. I kept mine simple. I chose beeswax, shea butter and sweet almond oil for mine. Beeswax is an excellent skin softener, acting as both a humectant and a protectant for your skin. Beeswax is high in vitamin A, and is excellent for irritated or dry skin. Shea Butter is excellent for damaged skin, often used to treat burns, and used in many expensive creams to promote cell regeneration and circulation for aging skin. Sweet Almond Oil is high in vitamins E and B, one of nature’s best moisturizers. These three alone will do wonders for your skin!  If you’ve never used a lotion bar before, they’re very simple: you let the bar sit in your hand for a few seconds to warm up, then rub gently along your skin. You will get deep moisture that really lasts from a good lotion bar, unlike cream lotions that typically evaporate or need frequent reapplication.

As you can see I made mine in different shapes. Some went into the heart shaped molds you see below, while others went into the snowflake molds in the photo above. I was impressed with how quick the process was, from beginning to end. I wrapped these up and gave them away as Christmas gifts. My friends have raved about how nice they smell and how smooth their skin now feels. The heart shaped mold is from IKEA–these would make great Valentine’s Day gifts!

Ingredients:

• 1 part beeswax
• 1 part shea butter
• 1 part almond oil
• 30-40 drops essential oils (optional)
• Silicone molds, like for ice cubes or baking

Directions:

1.  Using a double boiler, add water to the bottom pan and set to boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the beeswax to the top pan and cover the pan. Stir occasionally until it is fully melted.

2. Add in your almond oil and stir well to blend.

3. Add in any essential oils you desire. I used a blend of myrrh, jasmine and bergamot. I added 20 drops of myrrh, and ten of each of the others.

4.  Add in the shea butter. Stir continuously until fully melted. Shea butter can be finicky, so once it is melted do not let it sit on the stove for too much longer.

5. Pour the mixture into your molds, filling to the top.

6. Set aside in a cool area. They should begin to harden quickly. Mine are usually fully set  in about an hour.

7. Remove gently from the molds and enjoy!

Beeswax has a lovely soft scent of its own, so no oils are needed, unless you want them for your own purposes. I chose these three because they all help reduce stress and aide in relaxation. Myrrh also has natural anti-bacterial properties, so it will help kill any germs and heal wounds. If you’ve never smelled myrrh, it has a lovely deep, woodsy scent without being overpowering.

I did keep a couple of these for myself, and love the soft scent of them. It is such a nice ritual after a long shower or bath to smell these. I love that they not only soften and smooth my skin, but that they protect it from the harsh winter cold too!