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Decor & DIY

Homemade Eye Cream

I love all the beauty DIYs I have been experimenting with lately. No, I have not totally converted over to all-natural beauty products. But I have been experimenting with my own to see what the results would be.  Truly, these all-natural products make the skin feel so clean without any kind of harsh chemicals.

Eye cream 2

Fine lines, wrinkles, and puffiness tend to make their way under the eyes. Having a good eye cream is essential to help eliminate some of these problems.  Recently, I tried making my own eye cream with some very good all-natural oils that are potentially great for reducing lines and wrinkles and for nourishing and moisturizing that area.

Here is a quick overview of the ingredients used in this easy recipe.

  • Vitamin E oil smooths and softens rough dry skin and may reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
  • Avocado oil helps with skin elasticity and is very soothing for cracked dry skin. It can also be used as a hair moisturizer.
  • Sweet almond oil is  nourishing and moisturizing for the skin.
  • Coconut oil soothes, heals, moisturizes, and has many great benefits for the skin. See my post here.
  • Lavender essential oil is used to sooth skin ailments such as burns and rashes.

After doing a quick research on homemade eye cream, there seemed to be a general consensus on the oils that were used. Some recipes may have included only two or three oils. For example, some may have used Vitamin E and coconut oils. While others used Vitamin E and sweet almond oil or avocado oil. Or Vitamin E, sweet almond, and a type of essential oil. Usually a milder one like lavender.

Over all, Vitamin E seemed to be the most needed oil in each recipe as it is known to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I decided to try my hand at it and included a round up of five of the best oils!

All it takes is a quick mix of all the oils mentioned in the recipe card below. Pour it into a small cosmetic container and let it firm up in the refrigerator (optional). Removing it from the refrigerator will return it to a liquid state. Either way is fine; you choose how you prefer to use it. 

eye cream oily

eye cream

I have made this over two weeks and I am enjoying using it. The scent is very mild and the oils are very gentle on the skin. Here is the quick and easy recipe I used.

Homemade Eye Cream
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet almond oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil
  • 5 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
  1. Mix the ingredients together in a small jar.
  2. Store in the refrigerator if you want it to be firm.
  3. If stored in the bathroom it will remain in liquid form.
 

 homemade Eye cream 3

Have you tried any kind of homemade eye cream remedy before? I would love to know in the comments!

This posts contains affiliate links which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using any of these links. Thanks!

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

Decor & DIY

Homemade Honey Face Wash

Face soap is something I am very particular about because after all, I do not want to use a product that would be so harsh that it does more harm than good. Sometimes it takes me two or three different trips to the store to ensure that I chose the right soap. I have always used store bought face soap and still have some. But I wanted to try making honey face wash since it is a very natural face product and contains some nourishing ingredients. 

honey face wash 2

The recipe is simple with only four ingredients, Natural Honey Dr. Bronner’s all natural castile soap, coconut oil and lavender essential oil plus water. 

Here is a little information of how each ingredient works in this recipe.

  • Dr. Bronner’s castile soap is an All-natural soap that’s made with various scents: lavender, tea-tree, peppermint, citrus orange, eucalyptus, unscented (baby mild), etc. It is made of 18- in-one hemp and can be used to clean the home and the body. Currently, I have the baby mild and lavender but you can choose your favorite scents. You can follow this link to see the various kinds of Dr. Bronnerโ€™s Liquid Castile Soap available.
  • Natural Honey is a very soothing ingredient. Try using raw honey if you can. Trust me, it is the real deal!
  • Coconut oil soothes, heals, & moisturizes, the skin. See my post here on some of the many uses of coconut oil.
  • Lavender essential oil is used to sooth skin ailments such as burns and rashes.
  • Peppermint essential oil refreshes the skin.
Homemade Honey Face Wash
 
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap (Lavender or Baby Mild)
  • 1/3 cup all-natural honey
  • 1/3 cup distilled water plus up to 2 cups more
  • Essential oils (I used lavender and peppermint) But you can choose just one
  • Soap dispenser (12 oz to 16 oz)
Instructions
  1. Pour 1/3 cup distilled water into soap dispenser
  2. Add in the honey and soap.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Pour in a few drops of essential oil (about 10).
  5. Add more distilled water to fill the soap dispenser leaving about 1/2 inch space to the top.
  6. Use as you would any other face wash. Shake well between uses.
 

I have been using this face wash for a few days now and it really is a mild soap that leaves my face feeling so clean. Then I would moisturize with a small bit of the homemade body lotion I made for the kids. It is gentle enough to use on the face.

DIY honey face wash

Do you use any kind of face wash that is made with honey, store bought or homemade? I would love to know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using any of these links. Thanks!

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

 

 

Decor & DIY

Homemade Teeth Cleaner (Tooth Paste)

I am assuming that we all know the power of “good-ole” baking soda when it comes to cleaning our homes! But baking soda is not only for cleaning our homes, it could also be used to clean parts of our bodies, too, such as the teeth! This all-natural powerful ingredient will surely bring a brighter smile to the one who uses it constantly!  

baking soda teeth cleaner

I have seen it used (and even tried it myself) just on a toothbrush with some water. Taste terrible! After all, who likes this grainy bitter-ish taste of baking soda? Or used in homemade or commercially produced toothpaste. Those commercial producers know the power of baking soda – that is why they include it in toothpaste to brightening and whiten teeth. You may have seen the kind of toothpastes at the stores that include baking soda. Such as the Arm and Hammer kind as seen here in this link or just Colgate with the whitening effect as seen here.

I have been using and experimenting with essential oils in various body and beauty products. The other day, I was watching the Rachael Ray day time TV show and learned a tip from a person who DIYs her beauty products. One of the products she showed was how to make homemade toothpaste. It’s the only kind of toothpaste she ever uses. She claimed that it cleans really well! Even her tester on the show agreed. Although I did not hear all that she said clearly because the kids were talking, I gathered the ingredients and decided to give the toothpaste a try. I figured it could not hurt because in reality, baking soda does not need help to clean something. So adding a few other great ingredients like coconut oil and peppermint essential oil would make the paste even more powerful.

You can read about some great benefits of coconut oil in one of my post. For the essential oil, I used Young Living peppermint essential oil. Peppermint oil is very strong so only a few drops will do. It is used for respiratory and digestive support but one cannot beat the refreshing taste of peppermint! Adding a few drops to the paste makes a difference and you don’t feel like you are just tasting raw baking soda! Both the coconut and peppermint oils make the paste a little less grainy and bitter.

baking soda 4

You may think using baking soda on your teeth is gross, like I did before I made it into a paste. But I am telling you, my teeth feels way cleaner than it does with regular toothpaste. After the very first use, I was truly amazed of how smooth and clean my teeth were and just wanted to keep on brushing. But I figured I’d shoot some photos for the blog first:) 

baking soda toothpaste 2

Does it mean that I have thrown away my other toothpaste? Nope! Still have them. I have not totally become an all-natural toothpaste maker, yet. But I am using this baking soda concoction as an additional cleaning agent and loving it, too! Can’t wait to make the next batch!

Tooth Paste
 
My teeth has never felt cleaner than when I use this simple homemade tooth paste recipe!
Ingredients
  • 4 Tablespoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
  • (1/2 teaspoon coconut oil plus 5 drops of essential oil to 1 tablespoon baking soda)
  • A 4 oz cosmetic storage jar.
Instructions
  1. Mix all the ingredients into a paste.
  2. Store in a small 4 oz storage jar or other small cosmetic storage item.
  3. To use, apply to toothbrush like you would with regular toothpaste.
  4. Stir mixture every few days in between uses. I find that the oils tend to settle a little at the bottom when not in use.
 

 baking soda peppermint teeth cleaner 2

Have you ever been willing to try something like this? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links which means I will receive a small compensation if you make a purchase through any of these links. Thanks!

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

Decor & DIY

Homemade Lavender and Rosemary Bath Salts

I have not yet come across anyone who does not love a good ‘ole’ tube soak. I know there are some who may not be able to do this because of physical ailments or maybe even not having a bathtub. But I sure love to spend some quiet time in the tub while hubby monitors the kids.

 

 

Recently, I have been using Epsom salt in my bath and so love how my body feels after using it. I have even started making my own bath salts as a result. You could really only use Epsom salt but it is so much fun to add other salts and oils for a more luxurious feel. Even more so, bath salts are so good for the body in many ways!

 

As mother’s day and teacher appreciation day are approaching, why not present your mom or child’s teacher with a jar of bath salts. I am sure a tired mom or teacher would be happy to have something like this where they could just relax and enjoy a good healthy bath!

Just in case you are not familiar with the benefits of Epsom salt, here are a few I pulled fromย Salt Works website:

  • eases stress
  • relaxes the body
  • relieves muscle pain and cramps
  • eliminates body toxins
  • relieves constipation
  • improves heart health
  • may reduce diabetes

Other ingredients I included in this bath salts recipe areย Sea Salt, Baking Soda,ย Essential Oils, and Dried Herbs.

According to the Salt Worksย website, sea salt is not onlyย therapeutic but has minerals that are necessary for the body:

  • magnesium found in sea salt helps combat stress, slow skin aging, calms nerves
  • calcium helps to prevent water retention, increase circulation, strengthen nails and bones
  • potassium energizes the body & balance skin moisture
  • bromides helps ease muscle stiffness and relaxes them
  • sodium helps with the function of the immune system

Baking soda is well known as a cleaning agent for both home and body. Here are some of its benefits:

  • detoxification
  • exfoliates the skin
  • soothes skin
  • reduces burning
  • relieves itching
  • takes away mold
  • helps decrease body odor
  • used as a teeth cleaner

More info on baking soda can be found from these sites: Arm and Hammer,ย Med Healthย & Just Health.

Essential oils are making a comeback and are great for both inner and outer body and around the home purposes. I only used Lavender essential oil in this recipe because it is just so soothing for the body. Apart from smelling good, it is often used to heal cuts, bruises, rashes, and skin irritations. It is supper mild and can be used on kids, too.

The other ingredients used are dried lavender flowers and dried rosemary sprigs to add scents.

With all that said, making bath salts is super easy.

First gather all the ingredients (mentioned in the recipe card below). Don’t mind my cheap sea salt for this one.

 

Here is the lavender flowers I bought at a mall exhibition during our family’s Spring Break in Ohio.

 

Add the Epsom salt, sea salt, and baking soda to a big glass bowl. Mix well with a metal spoon.

Note:ย Plastic spoons and jars will soak up the essential oils.

 

Next, mix in the dried rosemary sprigs and lavender flowers (optional). Beware though that you WILL have to do some cleaning up after your bath if you add these dried herbs!

 

Finally, add in the essential oil(s) and combine well.

 

Pour into small glass storage jars or one large jar.

 

The amount of salts for this recipe will fit into a .5 gallon storage jar. I used a 5 gallon glass storage jar from Walmart but the amount of bath salts made can be reduced or increased to one’s own needs.

 

Cover and store salts in the bathroom.

 

Note:ย To tint the color, before pouring into storage jar, add drops of desired food coloring and stir well until the desired color is reached. ย Color all or smaller portions by scooping some from the mixture and adding to a smaller bowl or bowls if using various colors.ย I did not have all-natural food coloring so I just used a few drops of regular purple pastel food coloring to show how I made it.

 

To use add about one or two cups or handfuls to your warm bath and enjoy a healthy, luxurious, relaxing bath right at home!

Homemade Lavender and Rosemary Bath Salt

Ingredients
  • 4 cups Epsom salt
  • 2 cups sea salt
  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 3 Tablespoons dried lavender flowers (optional)
  • 3 Tablespoons dried rosemary sprigs (optional)
  • 20 to 25 drops of lavender essential oil
  • food coloring (optional)
  • A 5 gallon glass storage jar or multiple smaller jars
  • A metal spoon
  • Note: Plastic spoons and storage jars will soak up the essential oils
Instructions
  1. Place Epsom salt in a large glass bowl.
  2. Add sea salt and baking soda.
  3. Stir well with a metal spoon.
  4. Add in dried rosemary sprigs and dried lavender flowers, mixing well.
  5. Stir in lavender essential oil until fully combined.
  6. If using food coloring, separate salts into smaller glass bowls.
  7. Add a few drops of desired color and stir well until salts reach the desired colors.
  8. Store bath salts in covered glass jars.
  9. Use one or two handfuls or cups in a tub of warm water for a healthy, luxurious, relaxing bath.
If you use or have used bath salts in the past, I would love to hear about it in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase using any of these links. Thanks!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idlenessย (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).

Decor & DIY

Homemade Lip Moisturizer

I simply cannot do without a lip moisturizer. I mean, I put them on before bed and all. Without some kind of moisturizer my lips just feels totally dry even though they may not necessarily look dry.  Although, I usually find that some lip gloss/moisturizer/lip balm, whatever you want to call them do not keep the lips moisturized for long.  Maybe I just need to find the good ones!

In any event, I wanted to try making my own to see what the results would be. I was really satisfied with the results. With this five ingredient homemade moisturizer my lips remain moist for a good amount of time. 

homemade lip gloss 5

The base ingredient I used was Shea butter. Shea butter is a powerful skin healing agent. It works as a skin moisturizer, helps to reduce stretch marks, softens and heals rough, dry, and cracked skin, etc.  In addition to the Shea butter, I used coconut and Vitamin E oils, which are both known to have great moisturizing skin effects, such as softening rough dry skin and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. To read more about the benefits of coconut oil, follow my post here. 

I also used some peppermint and lavender essential oils. Peppermint oil is very refreshing and can be used to aid in digestive problems. However, it is a very strong oil so I toned it down some with the lavender which is very mild and is used for various types of skin care, burns, rashes, cuts, soothing, you name it! The oils mixed together make a really nice mild combo! After filling the small tubes with the lip moisturizer, I added a hint of cocoa powder to one of them for color. 

lip gloss edited

Who doesn’t like peppermint and cocoa together? Brownies anyone??? Then I filled them into little cosmetic storage containers and placed them in the refrigerator to firm up. See notes below on the recipe card.

As you may notice, when the mixture is hardened, the cocoa leaves tiny spots in the moisturizer. No worries because once it is removed from the refrigerator and stored in the bathroom (that is where I keep mine) it will soften and smooth itself out. See this next two images. Remember, the cocoa is optional.

soft lip gloss

lip moisturizer edited 2

Anyway, if you are so inclined to try it out, here is the simple recipe I used.

Homemade Lip Moisturizer
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Tablespoons organic Shea butter
  • 1 teaspoon organic coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vitamin E oil
  • 5 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 5 drops lavender essential oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon cocoa powder (Optional)
Instructions
  1. Using a double boiler, melt Shea butter over low heat.
  2. Remove from heat.
  3. Add coconut and vitamin E oils and stir well.
  4. Mix in 5 drops each of lavender and peppermint oils.
  5. Pour mixture into three 5 gram cosmetic containers (or small cosmetic container size of choice).
  6. If using cocoa, here is where you add it in and stir really well until it takes on the color and the cocoa has dissolved.
  7. Seal tightly and place in the refrigerator to harden.
  8. Note: Placing the moisturizer in the refrigerator takes it from liquid oily state to a solid state. Once it is removed from the refrigerator and stored in the bathroom or someplace else it will soften out (not melt) as seen in images 3 and 4. That is totally fine. In fact, I like it better this way.
 

homemade lip moisturizer

Have you tried making any kind of lip moisturizer before? Or maybe just using some kind of oil instead of actual moisturizer? I would love to have your feedback in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links which means I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase through any of these links. Thanks!

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

Decor & DIY

DIY Painted Picture Frame

I bought this frame some years ago from Home Goods because it matched my decor at the time. However, this piece has become a sort of a “stand-out” among the rest of our home wall decor. I am a pretty much neutral kind of decor person. You know, the kind of colors that could match everything (brown, beige, tan, white, black, etc).  Further, my wall decor is pretty much the same year round with a few minor additions during Fall and Winter season. Some, furniture and other bigger items may get moved around some. Well maybe a lot!

frame new

But this time, I wanted a different decor look. As I was contemplating how to redecorate our home recently, I decided I would move things around for a different feel, including the wall decorations. But no matter where I moved this picture, the golden frame seemed to “stand out” above other frames.

I had some brown multi-surface acrylic paint left over from another recent project. So I decided the best thing to do was to repaint the picture frame using the brown paint (bought from Walmart).

The back of the frame is stapled down and is not the same as a regular picture frame to open and close to remove the picture and mirror. So I used some newspaper to protect the mirror from getting painted. Also, some more newspaper for protecting the surface of the kitchen table where I worked.

frame 10

I did not go through the process of sanding out the gold or anything. Simply gave it three coats of paint and gave this piece a new look! It only took a couple minutes to dry between each coat because the paint dries really fast. It may look a little distressed in some areas – but that’s the style these days, isn’t it:)

Picture frame after

 When the piece was finished, I took a slightly damp sponge to scrape off any paint that got around the inner edges of the mirror. Then I used a dry rag to dust it off.frame clean

I think the new look is better than this gold thing! But after I painted it brown, I wondered if I should have gone with a white frame instead. In any event, the brown matches some other decor, which was my original intent for repainting the frame.

before frame

Hubby approves of the color. He thinks it goes really well with the look I was trying to achieve. And here it is displayed on the mantle. Yes, the same mantle I decorated for Spring earlier. I never seem to be satisfied with the mantle decorations:) I am the master of putting something up then taking it down and moving it someplace else, much to hubby’s dismay! But he approved this one so we are good!

painted frame 2

This is the first time I have done a frame and I think the results turned out pretty well. It’s a keeper!

DIY frame

So tell me, what do you think of the new look? And have you every painted a photo frame? I would love to hear about it in the comments!

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

Decor & DIY

How to Beautify an Old Chair in 4 Easy Steps

 Opening photo

Ever had an old chair that seemed to follow you around no matter where you move? You know, the kind that you tried to get rid off multiple times but just cannot seem to get rid of it? Well, this is my situation with this old, over-sized, ugly color chair. Reality is there are no reaps and stains. But it is an older chair and the color is not very appealing. But hey, if the color is appealing to you then ignore my “color” comment. 

Old chair before

There was a time when we had more people living in our home than usual and we desired an extra chair. So we picked this one up at a thrift store for $15. We still have it even though we no longer need it for its original purpose. 

When we were packing to move from one home to next, my intent was to put it in the thrift store pile.  However, those who helped us move put it in the moving truck without my knowledge. I did not see it again until it was unloaded and brought into our new home. 

I have tried to give it away on Craigslist but to no avail. I moved it out in the garage then moved it back into the living room again, much to hubby’s surprise.  Then I decided to give it back to the thrift store but hubby thought that it actually fills some space in the living room.

So what to do with this ugly color chair? We decided a chair cover would be best. I do not sew and finding the right chair cover could be quite a search. But after searching local and online stores, I finally found one.  Thanks to places like Ebay where you can find stuff on the cheap this chair got an instant makeover! 

beautify an old chair

I chose a soft microfiber slipcover in beige color. For twenty four dollars, a throw blanket and a few pillows I already had at home, I’d say this chair got a pretty good cover-up! I mean, if I did not show you the before you would never imagined what it looked like before. 

chair with logo

So here are the four easy ways to beautify an old chair

1) Clean out the chair if it needs some cleaning. You can use simple homemade products to do so or your favorite cleaning products. Here is a great post on couch cleaning with rubbing alcohol!

2) Purchase a chair cover to fit your chair. You can find them in almost any big department store such as Walmart, Sears, Target, or online from Amazon or Ebay, etc. Do do some searching around until you find the right size, color, and style to match your chair. Put your new cover on the chair. Pre-launder it if you wish.

3). Add a decorative pillow or two.

4). Add a throw blanket.

Your old chair has now gotten an instant beautiful makeover. Now you don’t have to be ashamed when someone comes to your home and see an ugly looking chair sandwiched between other beautiful ones!

CHAIR MAKEOVER

Despite my back and forth battle with this chair, it is a very comfi one, if I may say so myself. Often, you can find our toddler and preschooler fighting for the chair even thought they both could fit on there at the same time. 

What do you think about this instant chair beautification? Have you used chair covers before or do you just replace your old or ugly color chairs with new ones? I would love to know in the comments!

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

Decor & DIY

Baby Nursery in Progress with New Paint and Carpet

Nursery in Progress

Well, it has been two months now since the baby’s birth and the nursery is still not completed. Tip: if you are having a baby try to do the nursery before the baby comes. It is much harder to do it while having to keep up with the demands of little ones.

I had all good intentions to get it done before but obviously, I did not. And for various good reasons, too. For one, the room needed a paint makeover. When we moved in, the room was white and had pink wallpaper on the top.  And some decor that just had to go! See the photo below. 

Nursery 9

Then we moved a Queen sized bed in there and I was sure I wanted to keep it. The bed was left by the previous owner in their master bedroom. But we already had our own King sized bed so we moved it into the empty room (which was going to be the baby’s). I thought that I could lay on the bed and nurse the baby when he got up at nights if I was too sleepy. Well, that plan had to fly out the door as hubby insisted on getting rid of the bed. He felt there would not be enough space to fit the crib and baby’s other furniture. And he was right. So we sold the bed on Craigslist. There was also a dresser that we sold on Craigslist, too. (Thought I had a photo of the room with the bed & dresser but I could not find one anywhere).

New Paint: Anyway, I knew I wanted to make the room lovely. So I looked on line and in a baby decor book for ideas. I desired to have a Jungle theme with a soft-ish paint color. I could not tell exactly what the paint color would be. But I knew I wanted something like yellow-green. But not too overwhelming at the same time. 

My hubby and I discussed getting it painted and had some scheduled appointments with friends to get it done. However, between his travels, kids getting sick, end of year birthdays and holidays and what not, it did not happen.

When we brought baby home, we had the crib, and rocker (new dresser still not assembled at that time), but the room was not painted to our desire. See a more up close photo of the wallpaper and spots on the wall. This paint color looks like a very, very light-ish blue (almost white) to me.

Nursery 1

So about one week after the baby arrived on December 30, hubby set out on a DIY journey to get it painted. That in itself took a while. It took two endeavors to get it done. The first time took about two days between removing the wall paper, sanding the walls, and using the wrong color paint. Here is hubby doing his thing. The photo on the right side shows the room with the primer on the walls. Since hubby is no expert painter, he did not realize the green paint (to be painted) already had primer mixed into it…Bummer. All that time wasted! All that time learning something new. 

BTW: We chose no-smelling type paint for the sake of the baby and our young children. We used BEHR Premium Plus Ultra paint as it is of high quality.

Nursery 10

The first time, we got the wrong color paint. We discussed the color but as it was just a few days after having the baby, hubby went to Home Depot alone to get the paint. They gave him the wrong mix. This is the mix they gave him. Actually, a lady gave him this color. You think she would know, right? Its called COOL AL and it looks light in the can but not on the walls.

Nursery 13

At first, I thought it looked darker than what I imagined. But hubby said the store rep told him that the color was baby friendly. No way! Way too green!  Anyway, we decided to give it a try. Hubby tested it out on the wall and asked if it was OK. I had mixed emotions because it did not look right. Anyway, to make a long story short, he painted the entire room. At night was one thing, but during the day it looked way off! Here is a photo of the color. BTW: I read somewhere where green is a good color for a baby’s room because it represents growth. But this was not the green I pictured in my mind for this room.

Nursery 2

Then we lived with this color for a while as hubby got busy between work demands, business travels, school, and etc. He finally got the new color mix in early March. It’s called ADMIRATION. It is so much better!! It is more soft, welcoming, and baby-friendly. This time, a guy representative gave him the color:)

Nursery 11

This is the new paint on the walls in the photo below. The photo does not show the paint well due to the poor lighting. In fact, there is no lights installed so we use a floor lamp. Currently, hubby borrowed a floor lamp from the girls room to put in there. We had a smaller table lamp but he had removed it during painting to get more light.

I tried on multiple occasions on different days (early morn, mid-morn, mid-day, early afternoon) to get the correct photo but they did not turn out well. And I still need to do some re-positioning of the lights/lamps. In addition, I am still trying to learn this new camera. It takes better photos than my phone and is not high-tech my any means. But I still have not taken the time to sit down and figure out the lighting settings between day and night.

Nursery 3

New Carpet: Another progress we made over the past two weeks was to add new carpeting in the room. We currently have carpets in our bedrooms and in the family room. The rest of the home is hardwood. Home Depot carpeting did an excellent job!

Nursery 14

Minor Decor: In addition to the painting and carpeting, I recently added some removable re-positional wall stickers over the crib. Somewhere in the vicinity of the arrow I am going to put a large baby photo.

Nursery 7

Here is the room from the three different angles. I know the trash cans does not look very appealing but I did not feel like hiding them from the photo. After all, they are in the room.

Nursery 8

Hopefully, I can get some better photos once the room is finished. But for now, that is all the progress we have made. The major ones are done. Now to add a few more decor and polish things up a bit. And the nursery will be ready for baby boy!

Nursery 6

So despite the lighting, what do you think about the paint colors? Would you have gone with soft or heavy paint colors?

She looketh well to the ways of here household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).

Decor & DIY

Homemade All-Natural Nourishing Liquid Hand Soap

Natural Hand Soap

Making homemade hand soap is not as difficult as you make imagine. In fact, given the correct ingredients, you can make a bottle of soap in just a few minutes. You may wonder why make your own when you can just purchase from the store, right? I agree. I still love the various types of store bought hand soaps. However, as with many store bought cleansing products, they often contain chemicals and other ingredients that you cannot even recognize. Also, making your own saves you money.

Of course, you can purchase the all-natural hand soaps from the store, too. Yes, you do have to buy all the natural ingredients to make the soap, but you will only use a little at a time to make one bottle of soap. Therefore, saving money in the long run.

I have made liquid hand soap a few times now using Dr. Bronner’s liquid castil soap as the base.Liquid soap

While I find that that Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap is not very “foamy” in comparison to many other soaps, it is still very healthy and all-natural. It is made from mainly hemp (18 in one) and does produce good results. Might I add, it is one of the best kinds of all-natural soap I have found so far. You can refer to my post here on the many ways to use it to make homemade cleaning products.

Hand soap 3

Another reason I love making this liquid hand soap is that the smell is just so very mild. In addition, it really does give a smooth, nourishing feel to the skin and you can even use it as a face wash. Here is one of my little girls using the homemade soap.

Handsoap

Here are the ingredients you need to make your own all-natural liquid hand soap at home and the recipe following.

  • 1/3 cup Dr Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap – This is an All-natural soap of various kinds. Currently, I have the baby mild and lavender but I used the baby mild for this recipe. You can choose your favorite scents. Here are some examples of the different kinds of scents: lavender, tea-tree, peppermint, citrus orange, eucalyptus, unscented (baby mild), etc. You can follow this link to see the various kinds available Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap.
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil (Can be purchased here). I added this as a moisturizing ingredient. You may view my post on the how to use coconut oil here on 3 Main Uses for Coconut Fruit and Coconut Oil.
  • 1 Tablespoon Glycerin (Can be purchased here). This is used for cleansing, moisturizing, & skin softening.
  • 1 Tablespoon Sweet Almond Oil (Can be purchased here). Used as a moisturizer.
  • 10 to 15 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil (Can be purchased here). This oil is recommended for its healing properties for burns and other other skin irritants. It is smells amazing!
  • Boiled or Distilled Water. Used to improve the shelf life of the soap). 
  • 1 Soap dispenser (I believe mine was 12 oz). I found mine at a store called At Home in my local area. But you can find it on Amazon, too.
Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
 
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup Dr Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap (Baby Mild)
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Glycerin
  • 1 Tablespoon Sweet Almond Oil
  • 10 to 15 Drops of Lavender Essential Oil
  • Boiled or Distilled Water
  • 1 Soap dispenser (I believe mine was 6.4 oz)
Instructions
  1. Add Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap to a soap dispenser.
  2. Add in the coconut oil, glycerin, almond oil, and essential oil.
  3. Shake well.
  4. Add enough water to fill the dispenser leaving about 1 inch to the top.
  5. Shake well.
  6. The soap is now ready to use.
  7. Shake well before each use as the soap will settle while it sits.
 

Note: Although I love making my own natural hand soap, there are times when I run out of all-natural ingredients and revert to store bought. Or my husband will purchase some when he sees we are running out. Not a biggie at the moment. But making my own is something I am slowly getting used to and is truly enjoying. And my kids love testing out all my homemade products:)

Liquid hand soap

Have you ever made your own homemade soap? What was the result? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31;27; KJV).

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Decor & DIY

Colorful Decorative Spring Jars – Easy to Make

Yarn Decorated Spring Jars

Well, it is officially SPRING according to the calendar! Not sure if that means no more snow here in Chicago, but it seems like we are starting to warm up a bit. A high of 74 degrees this past Monday! My hubby thought of taking a family trip to the zoo but I guess we were not quite sure how windy it would have been so we opted no to go.  (Not sure why anytime I type the degrees symbol it directs me to another website and does not show the symbol). 

Anyway, remember my Yarn Decorated Easter Eggs a few days ago? I still have plenty of yarn left over from that project so I decided to add some Spring to some plain storage jars. Storage jars come in very handy in every area of the home as I posted a few weeks ago. See the post here Mason Jar Storage Ideas for Every Room in Your Home. I don’t think I touched on the family room in this post. But these colorful jars will definitely add some lovely decorations to any Family or Living room or whatever room in the home! I have them sitting on our Mantle until I place them in the desired areas. Choose your favorite color of yarn and you can even change them up according to the seasons. 

Decorated Spring Jars

They are super easy to make. I like easy projects like this that take less than 5 minutes to make. And with little kids running around, I certainly need to be quick!

All we need for these jars are storage jars such as Mason jars and yarn! I chose a few different sizes to give a little variation. The Dollar isle at Target is a great place to find storage jars of various sizes. 

Yarn for Spring Jars

You can even use ribbon, too. After I was done with the yarn jars and really wanted blue but had none, I decided to use some blue ribbon I had on hand.

Ribbon for Jars

To make the decorations: Use a foot or two of yarn for each jar and simply wrap tightly around the neck of the jars.  Make sure to leave about 5 inches of yarn on both ends to make a bow when you are finished wrapping the yarn. Trim off excess yarn. Then add some decorative items to the jars such as flowers, rocks, shells, colorful pencils, or whatever decorative items you want to put in. You can even leave them empty as the jars are pretty with just the yarn.

Side note: If you take a look at the light blue jar with the pink yarn and the small jar with the purple yarn, you will see that I added yellow flower petals. The petals are real dried out ones from flowers by hubby gave me on Valentines this year. Whenever he gives me flowers and they are dried and falling apart, I usually save the petals and display them in clear vases. They never seem to go bad even after many months or even years, it seems!

Spring Jars 2

Look at this one in the next photo with a burlap flower around it. Found the flower at Target in the Dollar isle. To see how I use this flower see my post here on Easy No Glue Five Dollar Spring Wreath.

Spring Jar with Flower

Aren’t the jars pretty? I purposefully did not add any glue to this project. I figured that I could easily remove the yarn and reuse the jars for other things if I needed to. Or change colors if I desired.

Spring Jars

Here is a shot of the jars on one side of the mantle. They are just beautiful!

Colorful Spring Jars

So what do you think of this simple project? Have you decorated storage jars with yarn before? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

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

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Easter Chocolate Cake with Two Simple Decorating Ideas

If you are looking for an easy Easter cake to make with the kids, you have definitely come the right place! The colors are bright and colorful and who can resist chocolate cake?! Go hereย for the newly updated version.

I made one cake and will show you how to decorate in it two different ways that only takes a few minutes each to do. I used Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe (super fast) and when the cake was cooled, I used whipped cream, sweetened coconut flakes, and Easter candy to decorate the cake. Yummy! (Well my kids did not care for the decorations, they just wanted the delicious cake)!

So here we go.

  • The first decoration is to use simple whipped cream frosting, an edible chocolate bunny, and sweetened coconut flakes dyed with green food coloring to create the grassy look. See the recipe below for instructions on how to decorate it. Super easy!

And here is a hearty slice!

Easter Cake Chocolate Pieces

  • And the second decoration is to use whipped cream frosting with Easter egg candy, peeps, andย sweetened coconut flakes dyed with green food coloring to create the grassy look. See instructions below. I decorated the bunny first then removed the bunny and add the eggs and a peep.

You can see how moist the cake is in the following photos! Doesn’t it make you desire a huge slice?

Easter Cake Easter Cake 2

I mean, one slice is just not enough of this cake! It really is so soft and so moist.

Here are the instructions to create either of these two delicious cakes! You may want to read the summary in the recipe first before proceeding to with the cake.

Easter Chocolate Cake with Two Simple Decoration Ideas
Following the recipe exactly as it is below makes two flatter cakes for layering. However, I wanted one small “not so flat” cake so I halved the ingredients except the baking powder and used a smaller pan (a deep round saucepan) instead. The baking soda in the cake does not cause it to rise much so adding more baking powder will help it to rise. I ended up NOT using the entire tub of frosting and the entire bag of coconut flakes. It depends on how large a cake you make and how much of either you want to use.
Ingredients
  • For Cake:
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups Hershey’s baking cocoa
  • 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • For Frosting:
  • 1 tub cool whip
  • Yellow food coloring
  • For Decorations:
  • 1 14 oz pk sweetened coconut flakes
  • Green food coloring
  • Choice of either:
  • 1 Easter bunny chocolate
  • or 1 pk peeps and 1 pk Easter egg candy
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease and flour a 9″ round baking pan.
  3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bow.
  4. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
  5. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes.
  6. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
  7. Pour into pans. Bake at 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.
  9. Cool completely.
  10. To Frost:
  11. Mix in a few drops of yellow food coloring into the cool whip until desired shade is acquired.
  12. Frost the cooled cake.
  13. To Decorate:
  14. Mix the coconut flakes in a Ziplock bag with food green coloring.
  15. Seal and shake the bag until the coconut turns green. Add more food coloring until you get the desired look (this is the edible Easter grass).
  16. Add coconut flakes all around the bottom of the cake and on the top of the cake.
  17. Add desired choice of topping.
  18. ) If using the bunny, simply place it in the center of the coconut (grass) on the top of the cake.
  19. ) If using the peeps and eggs, place the eggs first then add a peep or two.
  20. See the photos above for decorating ideas.
  21. Enjoy a hearty slice!!

As you may notice in this next photo, the top of the cake sunk a little. That’s because my mom always told me never to open the oven while the cake is cooking. Well, I did because I thought the cake was done since the timer rang. I should have set the timer a bit longer because I made one whole cake instead of two smaller ones like the recipe called for. Anyway, it worked out well, because the little sunken spot was perfect to hold the edible Easter grass (the green coconut flakes). See the images.

cake 8

So there you have it! One chocolate cake with two simple decorations. So moist and yummy! Your family will definitely love it!

Easter Bunny Cake 2

I just love the images and the bright colors!

Easter Cake Colored

So tell me, which decoration do you like best? For me, the eggs look colorful but I am liking the simple bunny. It just looks so peaceful sitting there!

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

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3 Natural Gassy Stomach Relievers: Cinnamon, Ginger, & Lime

3 Natural Digestive Gas Relievers

If you have ever struggled with gassy stomach, you know how discomforting they can be! You miss a meal or two or for whatever reason you feel gas pains that seem to linger on. There are natural home remedies you can try to bring some relief.

Here are three common kitchen ingredients that have worked for my family over and over again: Cinnamon, ginger, and lime. They contain properties that help with stomach discomfort and digestive problems. Ginger and cinnamon are very good for nausea, too. I’ll quickly discuss the method we use with each ingredient without going into the details of all the benefits of these ingredients. 

We basically use the same method of making a tea from each of them. Here is how.

Cinnamon Sticks: Apart from creating a pleasant aroma throughout the home, cinnamon tea is one of our go to gassy stomach reliever. 

My hubby is allergic to bananas but one day, decided to try eating one again after so many years. Well, that was not a good idea! He was on the floor rolling around in pain just before he had to leave for work. His instant relief came about because of a cup of cinnamon tea I made for him!

The method used: Boil 5 to 6 cinnamon sticks in 4 cups of water, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can add a few sticks of cloves (3 to 4 sticks) and a teaspoon of ginger to make this an even more delicious spice tea. Sweeten to taste. Serve hot.

Cinnamon Sticks

Ginger Root: Ginger is known to help with nausea and other digestive problems. This is always one of the recommendation for nausea during pregnancy. 

The Method used: Boil a few pieces of ginger root in water about 15 minutes (about 1/4 cup ginger to 1 cup water). Add sweetener if desired. Drink hot! Note: I always add a little more water because the water tends to reduce during boiling.

Ginger Root

Lime Peel or Lime Bud (young leaf): As a teenager, I struggled with gassy stomach a lot, especially when I missed eating meals on time. Lime peel or the lime bud were really helpful to me during those times. 

The method used: Boil the peel of a lime (or 3 or 4 young lime leaves) in water (about 2 cups) until the juices are released and you can kind of see a tint in the water. By then the water may have been reduced to a cup or a little more. Sip on this as hot as you can. No need to add sweetener.

Lime Peel

These are three of the common natural ingredients that have worked for us. I am sure there are many more home remedies to try.

Gas Relievers

Have you tried any of these before? What method do you commonly use – tea or other? Would love to know your thoughts in the comments below!

Gassy Stomach Relievers

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