Awesome Goodwill Find!!! A 3-in-1 Wooden Contraption!!!!

I found this amazing wooden 3-in-1 Wooden Contraption. It is a Chair, Ironing board, and Ladder!!!  It's made from all wood and works GREAT in a country decor!!!

Ironing Board

Ladder

Chair

Homemade Shampoo & Body Wash without dangerous chemicals!!!

I have been researching for several days about how to make my own shampoo & body wash without harmful chemicals.  It took me forever to find one that I liked, even then I tweaked it quite a bit to make it my own.

We have extremely hard water. Usually after we shower we need lotion or creme because our skin is so dry. No matter what soap, body wash, shampoo we use we always end up with that feeling of dry itchy skin.   After using this shampoo/body wash my skin isn't itchy and dry.

***hair is still wet, waiting for it to dry for results on it.***

Ok my hair is finally dry. So what's the results?  My hair feels oily to the touch, but it doesn't look that way. It's not a nasty oily feeling, it feels kinda like a good creme moisturizer when it's first applied to your hands. My hair isn't dry and brittle feeling either. It has more body and bounce to it. It is shining a lot more than it has in a long time. It actually looks healthy.

My daughter has stringy, thin, curly hair. I will use it on her hair tonight to see how it works on her hair.

 I used it on Halle's hair. It had a lot more body and lift to it. It looked healthier too.  Her ponytail didn't fall out this time. Her hair is usually so thin that a simple ponytail will fall out over time. Her naturally curly ends had more curl and bounce to them. I'm very impressed!!!

I used the recipe from Passionate Homemaker as my base formula. But I changed what I was thought was important. Read after recipes for my reasons to change the formula.

 Version for myself
1    c. Dr. Bronner’s organic castile liquid soap (Baby Formula works best for all ages)
1/4 c. water
1.5 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2-3 drops Aloe Vera Concentrate
10-15 drops Lavender Essential Oil
10-15 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
(Shampoo or closeable tips applicator bottle that's is leak proof)





Version for my husband: (omit vinegar because he HATES the smell)

1    c. Dr. Bronner’s organic castile liquid soap (Baby Formula works best for all ages)
1/4 c. water

2 drops Aloe Vera Concentrate
5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
8 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
(Shampoo or closeable tips applicator bottle that's is leak proof)



Version for kids: (increased water content to use in spray bottle)
1    c. Dr. Bronner’s organic castile liquid soap (Baby Formula works best for all ages)
1/2 c. water

1.5 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2-3 drops Aloe Vera Concentrate
5-10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5-10 drops Patchouli Essential Oil
(Spray bottle from Beauty Supply Store)

Milky Reaction After Adding Vinegar

1. Mix soap and water in pourable bowl, large measuring cup, or use regular bowl and funnel.
2. Add vinegar, if needed. This will cause the ingredients to turn milky. Use a whisk and blend gently.
3. Use Aloe Vera Concentrate SPARINGLY! 1-2 DROPS PER OUNCE OF FLUIDS. I used less than that because I don't want my hair to be too oily.
4. Add in Lavender and Patchouli Essential Oils (or any that you prefer). Mix gently with whisk.
5. Pour into bottles. REMEMBER THIS IS WATERY

Use small amounts at first, until you find the right amount for your hair length.  I put three small dabs on my scalp which was too many, but I needed an extra dab for my ends. REMEMBER THIS IS WATERY. I needed a small amount in a loofah to use as a body wash.


Why Aloe Vera in Shampoo?
USE A VERY TINY BIT OF THE CONCENTRATE IN YOUR SHAMPOO.
According to Buzzle: "Using aloe vera for hair loss is the first step, you can undertake to arrest hair fall. Aloe vera is a natural hair conditioner and you can very well replace aloe vera for the chemical laden conditioner, which you are currently using. There are enzymes in this magical plant, which promotes hair growth, hence you will see a number of hair care products, where aloe vera for hair regrowth has been used. Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties, which help in regeneration of hair on the scalp.

Aloe vera is one of the main ingredients in a number of aloe hair shampoo and conditioners, which are available in the market. It actually contains all the ingredients required for cleaning and conditioning the hair. When aloe vera is used for an extended period of time, it makes the hair healthy and dense."


Why Lavender Essential Oil in Shampoo?
Besides the fact that it smells GREAT. Using Buzzle again to describe the benefits of Lavender Oil "Lavender oil, one of the best aromatherapy oils is known to be very effective in treating the problem of hair loss. Regular usage is helpful in controlling hair fall and improving hair growth. Alopecia areata, a condition wherein you lose excessive hair, especially in patches can be treated with lavender essential oil. Daily massage with lavender oil will definitely help significant re-growth and give you the results in a few months. Moreover, a massage with lavender oil is also helpful in curing insomnia. It is known to improve sleep quality. One of the lavender oil benefits is that it relaxes you and helps you get rid of anxiety and depression. The calming and soothing effect of lavender oil is beneficial for relieving stress. This in turn helps control hair loss, as insomnia, stress, depression are one of the causes of this problem. Sufficient sleep and mental peace ensures that you do not face hair loss problem. Moreover, it also enhances blood circulation, hence a scalp massage will definitely help improve hair growth.

You can use lavender oil for hair growth and get rid of other problems like itchy scalp and dandruff. It is a powerful antiseptic and useful in disinfecting the scalp hence, treating dry scalp, lice, lice eggs or nits. It also fights fungi, viruses and other microbes. You can opt for a daily scalp massage with lavender oil for hair growth and use one of the undermentioned hair masks as well."

Why use Patchouli Essential Oil in Shampoo & Body Wash?
Research on eHow: "Patchouli oil makes an excellent massage oil for its aromatherapeutic properties, as well as for its benefits as a topical skin application. Patchouli oil is an effective moisturizer and has been known to ease a number of skin conditions such as eczema, acne and dermatitis. It reduces the appearance of scars and fine wrinkles, and can even be helpful against dandruff and other scalp conditions."

What are the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple Cider Vinegar has many benefits for the hair. Get rid of dandruff; it is sticky skin cells flaking off. ACV has mild exfoliating properties which helps exfoliate the skin.  ACV is slightly acidic which helps balance the scalp and skin pH levels. On the skin is a protective acid mantle, alkaline soap strips it away. A normal acid mantle will detoxify and eliminate waste properly on the skin and scalp.  ACV is also helpful in removing shampoo, soap, and style product build up. Hair shafts are protected by an outer clear cuticle which protects the hair's inner color pigments and hair cells. Using ACV will remove the hard water residue leaving your hair shinier and appearing healthier.

BUT VINEGAR STINKS!  True as this may be, the good thing about vinegar is dissipates into the air within 30 minutes. The scent that will remain are the essential oils you added to your shampoo.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Trying to save money? Trying to remove harmful chemicals from your home?

One way to do both is to make your own laundry detergent. It took me only 45 minutes the first time I made it. I made 5 gallons of laundry detergent a lot cheaper than store bought detergents.

This is just a rough detail sketch of the way I did it, I will post pictures and a instruction guide later this weekend.

Ingredients:

1 Bar Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap: GRATED (bought at Wal-Mart)
Approx 1 cup Pure Glycerin Soap: GRATED (1 small bar from the bag I purchased-see below)
1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
12 Drops Essential Oil (I use 10 drops of Lavender for a light scent.)

Costs:

• Fels-Naptha Laundry Soap (0.97)

$0.97 each at Wal-Mart

• 5lbs Pure Glycerin Soap ($0.24)

Hobby Lobby $18.50 (w/ tax) Regular Price however with the 40% off coupon it's $11.09 w/ tax. I used the coupon to buy this today. Inside this large 5lb bag are small bars of soap. I counted 46 bars in my bag. I used 1 bar grated. Using the cost per bag above each little bar either costs $0.40 each ($18.50) OR $0.24 each ($11.09).

• Borax ($0.30)

I'm estimating the cost I paid for the borax at the commissary on post. I'm thinking it was about $3.00 a box. Each box contains about 10 cups. Approximately $0.30 per cup.

• Washing Soda ($0.30)

Again, I'm estimating the cost I paid for the washing soda at the commissary on post. I'm thinking it was about $3.00 a box. Each box contains about 10 cups. Approximately $0.30 per cup.

• Essential Oils ($0.18)

The costs for essential oils will vary GREATLY depending upon where you buy it and they scent you buy. Vanilla is more costly than most other scents. I use lavender because it's soothing and relaxing. I paid $8.99 for a 1 ounce (30ml) bottle. This bottle contains approximately 600 drops with each drop costing about $0.015 each. 12 drops = $0.18

• Water.

Well, I don't know how much that is going to cost but I just use what comes out of the tap.

Approximate total costs of 5 gallons of laundry detergent: $1.99

Cheap pot

5 gallon bucket

My 1 time costs are for the bucket and the pan to melt the soap it. I didn't want to use my good pans for this. 5 gallon bucket with lid about $4.00 at Wal-Mart and the 1 time costs of a CHEAP pot at the Goodwill ($2.50).

Grated Fels Naptha

Grated Glycerin Soap

Directions:

1. Grate Glycerin Soap
2. Grate Fels-Naptha Soap
3. Measure 1 cup borax and 1 cup washing soda. Set aside.
4. Place 1 cup cool water in a bowl, add your essential oils to this water, set aside.
5. Add 4 cups water to boil for a small pan or 8 cups for a medium pan.
6. If available run several containers of HOT water. I use old clean tea jugs, clean milk jugs, my mixer bowl, and various size pitchers around my kitchen. Enough to have about 4.5-4.75 gallons ready to pour into the bucket.
7. When water is boiling, reduce heat and slowly add about half the amount of Fels-Naptha to the water. Stir until dissolved.
8. Pour off some of the water into the bucket. Then add more fresh water to the pan and add the rest of the Fels-Naptha to the water. (I had to do this because I have a smaller pan, if you have a larger pan increase the water amount to 8 cups and dissolve at once.) Once it has dissolved add the Glycerin Soap to the water. It will only take a minute or so to dissolve.
9. Add about half (2.5 gallons estimated) of your reserved water to the bucket. Stir.
10. VERY QUICKLY add your borax, washing soda, and your dissolved soap mixture to the bucket. Don't burn your hand with the soap mixture. You may need a second person's help to mix everything quickly.
11. Stir to combine, then quickly add the rest of the reserved water & ESSENTIAL OILS WATER (about 2 gallons water). Stir quickly! It will start to gel within seconds of combining it with water and cooling. Don't fill it all the way to the top. Leave room for the gelling to happen.
12. Cover bucket with lid. I cover it with a blanket as well. Let set overnight to 24 hours.

Water in pan

Before sitting for 24 hrs

Melting Soap

My Tips and Oops:

• Don't boil soapy water too much. Soap=bubbles; boiling water=lots of bubbles.
• Don't add essential oils to hot water. Always add it to cool water, then add it to the detergent mixture at the very end.
• I added the soap mixture to the bucket before adding anything else. It gelled so fast I had to use a stick blender to get the clumps out. So add about half the water first and work fast.
• Have everything measured out and in an area where you can quickly add it to the bucket.
• Several people have said their detergent separates. I'm trying to see of letting the cooling happen slowly will prevent the separation, like in making lye soap.

WILL POST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FINISHED PRODUCT ALONG WITH PICTURES SUNDAY NIGHT!

Larger chunks of gelled soap

Smaller gelled soap

It's like a watery gel, kinda like egg drop soup. It works GREAT on our clothes and it smells amazing.

Essential Oil Drops to Ounces & Mililiters

Essential Oil "drops" to ounces (oz) and to milliliters (ml).

I bought a bottle of Lavender Essentials Oils today to add to my laundry detergent and to my body wash. So I want to know the financial costs of each product I make. The bottle I bought is 30ml which is a slightly over 1fl oz.

1ml = 20 drops
Some sites say 25-30 drops in 1ml.
So 30ml=600-900 drops

I think I will go with the 600 drops per bottle just in case.

A Trip to Hastings Exposes 5 Year Old to Porn

I took my original post down to do some editing. Well it is no longer here, so I had to rewrite the entire thing.  Below are the events that happened.

We went to Hastings Entertainment on Tuesday, December 6th for our weekly movie trip. Hastings in Lawton has a great selection of Christian/Family/Kids movies. Plus the 2 free kids movies at a time is a bonus to keep us coming back. We got our movies and I decided I was going to purchase a book I've been wanting by Dr. Laura Schlessinger "The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage." I had looked at the book the week before, but decided to wait until now to purchase it.

The book was located on the wall in the "marriage/relationship" section. I knew the book was near the area with "sexuality" which was also on the wall. Along the aisle bookshelf was "parenting/education/family" and there was a small sitting area with 2 chairs in the middle of all of it, but they were far enough from the wall if a book of 18+ nature was being previewed by another customer or facing outward they couldn't see it. Luckily, no one else was in the area and all those books were placed with the spines facing outward.

 I told my older two children ages 5 & 3 to sit in the chairs, I had my 2 year old in the cart. I was just going to walk over to the wall, locate the book then leave. As I was locating the book, my 5 year old says "mom look at this naked girl." I turn and see my 5 year old son holding a SWANK Magazine. He said it was in the chair! 

{"Swank is a pornographic magazine for heterosexual men published in the United States. It includes hardcore sex, such as the use of sex toys, lesbian sex, and sexual intercourse between men and women."  Source Wikipedia}

I was very upset! I asked to speak with the store manager. The store manager apologized and explained they try to prevent this type of thing from happening by walking the departments every 30-45 minutes to put away lost items and check for mature content being left out. She explained the store policy is to not allow it to be looked at in the store and they put them in special bags. I asked "why aren't they behind a counter or in a special room?"  According to the store manager it's the corporate office that sets up the store policies and the layout of the stores. As a courtesy, I was given free movie rentals because I've become a regular there, where the cashiers are starting to know me.

As any concerned mother would do, I called the corporate office and I more or less got the same response: "I'm sorry. We try to prevent it." When I made a suggestion about doing more to prevent it from happening again, I was told "I'll pass that along to that department."  Which translates to me "I'll mention it, but we may not do anything about it."

I called our attorney to find out what are the laws. There is NO law that requires pornographic magazines to be covered or placed in bags. There is NO law that requires them to be placed in an area that's off limits to children.  So legally Hastings Entertainment did "nothing" wrong, but morally they did.

The night after it happened our son ended up with a migraine. So the next day we took him to the pediatrician. We explained his symptoms of the migraine and any stresses he'd had. He's a child with ADHD/ODD and very "high strung." So we showed the pediatrician the pictures I took of the cover of the magazine along with the texts to my husband. She examined him and decided it was either allergies or stress that caused the migraine. She decided to go with allergies because he was showing signs of an allergic reaction to something. However, if the migraines come back with high stress then we will know the actual cause. His pediatrician is the best I have ever met, AND SHE'S ACTIVE DUTY! (All the military wives will understand what I mean there.)

 What is the purpose of this blog?

1. To inform others to be VERY careful when going into bookstores.
2. To inform others that if your kid sees pornography, the bookstores are not legally liable and there is no protection in place besides what the stores deem appropriate. 
3. To get the word out that things need to change.... laws or store policies need to be better to protect children.

I was raised to do my best. To evaluate my best and improve it however possible. To "try" was to allow an excuse for failure. Excuses are not an option. If they had done more preventable measures then it wouldn't be such a difficult subject.

What's the problem?
Even though it was just a brief encounter, he still remembers it. His mind will remember those images for years to come. It will require more effort on my husband and I to teach him the harms and shamefullness of pornography. The dangers on the development of children after viewing pornography is well documented and a summary is available at Protect Kids.  For a more in depth study see "The Harms of Pornography Exposure Among Children and Young People" from La Trobe University, Australia.  More studies are listed on the Porn Harms website.

Could they have done better? YES!

1. Put all 18+ content in a "behind the curtain room" where the contents are monitored and purchased before being taken into the main part of the store
2. Put blacked out covers for 18+ with just the Title, Articles, and Issue information for people to be able to request the magazine from behind the counter.
3. Put all 18+ content in a section of the store where they must purchase the item to leave the area.

 I will be contacting Senators, Congressmen, and State level representatives to put into place a better system to protect children from the harms of view pornography, even by accident. I would hope that whoever reads this would also contact their legislative leaders to request better standards for the selling of such horrendous material.

My Tortured Son: A dramatic story.

A dramatic story:

"My son was born to die. My son was tortured.  My son was beaten beyond human limits.

My son.... My little boy who I held during the night.  My precious baby who I nursed.  I remember the labor I endured to have my first born son.   I remember watching him learn to walk. It was a time of amazement for me because I got to watch this tiny baby grow into a toddler. I remember the look on his face as he learned to take his first steps, then he learned how to run. I got to experience all the "firsts"; his first word, his first steps, his first tooth, and all the little joys in raising a baby. I comforted him when he needed me. I held him on sleepless nights.  Oh my precious baby... I didn't know the extent of your fate.

As time passed, he grew into a great young man.  I learned much from my son. He was a joy in my life. His smile, his laugh, the talks we had, and the amazement at his words as he grew and matured. He was an obedient child. I believed in his abilities and I believed in him. I loved him with all my heart. As any loving mother, I wanted to protect him from the harsh world and I would have done anything to keep him safe.

Then the time came for his ministry to begin. I fully believed in my son. However, others hated my son. They wanted him to be silenced. They got their wish.  My baby boy, now a man, was being beaten. The flesh was being ripped from back. A crown of thorns was jabbed into his head. He was disrobed and nail to wooden boards. All because he taught people to love, forgive, and they could be forgiven. People looked up and saw a man....I see a man, but I also see the tiny baby I held not long ago. The baby I had was born to die. Not die like most, but to die so others might live. My heart breaks for my son, my baby, yet my heart has peace because my son is God in the flesh.  I think he gave me this peace and strength, because he knew the heart of a woman.... he knew the love a mother has for a child.

Then his death was final. My baby was gone. The torture was over. He's no longer hurting. Three days later....my son lives. I can hug him. I can kiss him. Peace and joy are in my heart. I get just a little more time to know him on this earth. He came to save the world, to forgive sin, to love the lost, and to show the life we should live.  I am grateful to be the mother of this baby boy, now a man.

My son was born to die."

A dramatic story about the emotions of Mary, mother of Jesus.  Take time to remember the purpose of the season. To celebrate the birth that led to death that led to salvation.

From manager to cross He was born to die.
Picture credit: http://www.bereanwife.net/2008/12/that-little-babe-in-the-manger-grew-up/

Old Fashion Clay Ornaments

Ingredients:

4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. salt
1 1/2 c. cold water




Hardware:
Cookie cutters
Paint (optional)
Shellac or Clear Varnish
Ribbons, Hemp, or Hooks for hangers 
Fork/Spoon to stir with
Cookie Sheet

Directions

1. Mix flour and salt. 
2. Slowly add water while stirring until soft dough forms.
3. Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, adding a small amount of water or flour, if needed. 
4. Roll dough on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. 
5. Place cut outs 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Punch holes with a straw or carefully make a hole with a toothpick.. 
6. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Baking time will vary with size of ornaments and your altitude. 
7. Cool completely. You may paint ornaments or leave natural.
8. Once the pain drys coat with Shellac or other clear varnish