Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

Soap Crafting

This past Friday I made my last batch of soap for the season.  Last night I started working on some finishing touches on the five varieties of homemade soaps I made this fall.  This year I made 5 batches of soap that I am planning to, of course use - and also to give as tokens of friendship, love and appreciation this holiday season for our friends and family and for so many others in my life that offer support to me personally or to our children....teachers, coaches, parent volunteers in my kindergarten classroom to name a few).

This year I concocted the following batches of homemade soap:

• Gardener's Rescue Soap on a Rope - made with olive, palm & hemp oils, lime essential oils with coffee grounds as an exfoliant. (approx. 3 oz)
• Calendula Baby Soft Soap - made with olive oil, palm oil, calendula oil & calendula petals. (approx. 2 oz)
• Peppermint Tea Tree Swirl Soap - made with coconut oil, mango butter, canola oil, olive oil, hazelnut oil, tomato paste and activated charcoal colorant and tea tree and peppermint essential oils.  (approx. 1.5 oz)
• Lavender Cedarwood Soap - made with coconut oil, coco butter, olive oil, rice bran oil, caster oil & cedar wood and lavender essential oils. (approx. 2 oz.)
• Bergamot::Patchouli::Lime - made with olive oil, avocado oil, shea butter, canola oil with loofa and dried rose petals. (approx. 2 oz.)

I do have a lot of people on my list for giving, but I did make quite an abundance of bars this year, so I do have a few of each variety to sell.   If this is something you are interested in - shoot me an email and we could probably work something out.  For those of you reading who may just be one the recipient end of my holiday gift-giving I apologize for the 'spoiler,' but at the same time hope you will enjoy these gifts that were made with love.

snow day projects

When we were not outside playing in the snow, we took advantage of our bonus 'snow day' at home to do some projects.   We're big fans of audible, both the mama and the kids had an audiobook going on and off throughout the day.   I spent time away from my responsibilities of home and made time for some hands-on creativity: making a batch of soap, spinning and knitting, making some jewelry and guiding my daughter in her own soap-crafting efforts (making bath bombs).  

I am a homebody at heart and days like this, where I can just soak up the experience of being at home with my four children are so recharging for me.  And it was quite a productive day as well!

The start of soap making season....

This past weekend I made my first batch of soap of the season.   I used instructions from Pure Soapmaking:  How to Create Nourishing, Natural Skin Care Soaps by Anne Marie-Fabiola to make this beautiful Peppermint Tea Tree soap using activated charcoal and tomato paste for colorants.   

I am happy to have some confidence experimenting with new techniques to create some fun results.  This batch is now curing (and adding a delightful scent to our home) for the next four weeks before it is ready for use.  My hope is make at least three more batches of unique soaps for my holiday gift baskets and for use around home.  Stay tuned for more show and tell!

Making Bug Stay Away

When spending some time in our expanding garden earlier this evening,  I was visited by some pesty insects.   

Although I am happy to see dandelions blooming (our first nectar flow for honeybees), I am not all that fond of the bugs that eat away at my hairline or that fly in my mouth or up my nose while I am digging in the dirt.

I was happy to find that I had had all the ingredients and containers on hand to make a few batches of "Bug Stay Away" in my dogeared, bookmarked copy of Rhythm of the Family, which I frequent every spring to make natural bug repellant.  A little Eucalyptus Oil, Citronella Oil and Lemongrass Oil diluted by some Witch Hazel can help ward off the bugs this time of year.

I also now have a nice addition to the gift bags I am creating for the dedicated volunteers I have had this year helping to support the learning of my kindergarten students!

::making to use and to give

 

 

We have used some pockets of time over the last few weeks to do some making, both for use in our home and for holiday giving.

New this year:  bath bombs!  We made one experimental batch, which was fun and easy - and another for gifting.

I have also been doing a little more experimenting with my soap making.  I have made four batches this year:  peppermint , calendula, lemongrass and oatmeal & honey.  I have been trying out some layering techniques and experimenting with colorants, exfoliants and textures.  I am pretty happy with the results.

We also made a large batch of homemade fire starters for our own wood-stove fires and more to give (a very practical gift in our north woods).

We have had fun so far - and I do have a couple more projects on my list for the upcoming weekend - stay tuned!

::beeswax lotion bars

We are in the process of making for the holiday season!

Into the mix this year........beeswax lotion bars!!

The process of making lotion bars is so easy!

Think:  I could do this on a Wednesday evening with my kiddos while the daddy was away at a meeting.  Easy.

The key is just having the materials on hand.  I have been purchasing most of my soap-crafting supplies through amazon & Brambleberry.

The internet is full of recipes.  I created this one by adapting the recipe I found here, to create a more solid bar:

Beeswax Lotion Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup beeswax
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup almond oil
• essential oils (optional)

Simply melt the ingredients on the stove-top over low heat, pour and/or syringe into a mold, and let cool.

Store in a tin or plastic bag.  Use as you would lotion.  Enjoy & give!

 

Sweet Orange-Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap Recipe

This past weekend my daughter and I went to a mall.  My kids have been to more glaciers and oceans than malls so it was quite a novel experience for our nine year old child.

It was just the two of us and I let her take the lead.  One of the stores she wanted to go in was full of soaps and lotions.  When we walked in the store I was overwhelmed with fragrances and loud music, but she absolutely loved it.  When she is a teenager I am sure she'll spend her money on trendy fragrance-filled synthetic products just as I did, but for now, in her childhood, she will experience rainy days home with her mama creating homemade soaps with essential oils.

Here's one for today:

Sweet Orange-Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap

Materials & Ingredients:

• Recycled/Reusable 8-9 oz. Foaming Soap Dispenser

• Water

• 3 T. Unscented Castile Soap

• 1 tsp. olive oil

• 10 drops vitamin E oil

• 5 drops sweet orange essential oil

• 3 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

Fill the foaming soap dispenser with water, leaving a one inch head space.  Add castile soap, olive oil, vitamin E oil and essential oils.  Screw on pump and shake to mix.  

It's as easy as that!