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Sunday, June 3, 2012

YES YOU CAN!

This post is inspired by the Play At Home Mom YES YOU CAN photo album on facebook.

YES, you can help Daddy spread dirt and then have some to play with in a bin. YES you can dig for worms. YES you can use your hands, or a scoop, or even dump some in your hair. YES, YES, YES, please explore your world, enjoy and have fun learning!



Toothpaste, Mouthwash and Deodorant

I'm needing to make some toothpaste, mouthwash and deodorant and thought I'd write up a quick post with the recipes.

Toothpaste
We use the pretty basic recipe floating around out there, with of course our own little twist on it.

2 Tablespoons melted Coconut Oil
1 Tablespoon Xylitol- I prefer xylitol over baking soda. It sweetens it plus is thought to help restore minerals to the teeth! I use the flat blade of our Silver Bullet blender to grind it finer for toothpaste
1 teaspoon Nixall- optional but it makes it even more anti-bacterial
About 10-15 drops of Essential Oil- I use Peppermint Oil- it gives it that minty fresh taste plus is anti-bacterial

Mix everything together. The Coconut Oil will solidify when it cools. I keep mine in a small plastic container.

Mouthwash
Okay, so we LOVE Nixall. This is a CLEAN, GREEN disinfectant which is anti- bacterial, fungal, and viral PLUS it's safe enough to drink. It is EPA and FDA approved for many uses. It's more effective than bleach and has killed EVERYTHING it's been tested on, which includes every Level 1 Virus. This has been tested, proved and approved, not just wives tales and maybes. THIS STUFF WORKS!

One of our many uses is a mouthwash. In the 10:1 dilution with 10 parts water to 1 part Nixall, I add Peppermint Oil for that fresh minty taste.

Deodorant
Another one of those basic recipes, with our twist.

4 Tablespoons Coconut Oil- melted
1/8 C. Baking Soda
1/8 C. either Cornstarch or Arrowroot
1t. Nixall (optional)
Essential Oils- optional- I love using Tea Tree Oil and Lavender- I use a total of about 15-20 drops

Mix together. The Coconut Oil will solidify when it cools. I store ours in a plastic container, not a reused deodorant container. During the summer, unless you keep your house really cool, it will get a little mushy. Plus, if you do any traveling, or camping, you really don't want your deodorant to melt all over everything.

Heat Rash
If you suffer from heat rash, like I do so often, you can use, guess what? NIXALL for deodorant! Just spray under your arms and you're good to go. Not only does it get rid of the odor causing bacteria but it also helps with heat rash. I'm telling you, this is our go to product for so many things!

One other note. If you're using identical containers for your deodorant and toothpaste, you might want to label them. Tea Tree Oil/Lavender Deodorant doesn't taste very well. Oops ;)

Friday, June 1, 2012

Bug Repellant and Bug Bites

It's that time of year again ~ BUGS!!! Here's what we use for bug repellant and then, if we forget the bug spray, we have the bug bite cream. It is possible to be outside without all the chemicals and toxins!

Bug Repellant

Liquid Soap Nuts- click here for more information on where to order, how to make, etc.
You can add various essential oils for repelling bugs, but liquid soaps nuts work just fine without any EO.  Some EO I like to add include: cedarwood, lemongrass, tea tree oil, catnip, geranium eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint. This isn't a complete list of bug repelling oils. Citronella is one as well, but I really don't like the smell. Neem oil is a great bug repellant, but oh, the smell :( I save that smell for the garden, away from me!

Bug Bite Cream

This is for those times we forget the bug repellant!

Green clay powder
Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix together to create a paste. Dab on bite(s).

Simple and effective itch relief.

Additional Summer Solutions...

Nixall is AMAZING stuff! Click here for more information and ordering.  It's a 10:1 dilution with water (10 parts water: 1 part Nixall) so one quart will make 10 quarts!

Here are just a few uses- focusing on Summer Uses:

Poison Ivy relief- just spray on infected area several times a day. Relieve itching and clears it up fast! Milo got into hemlock and got a really nasty rash which was quite resilient. He used Nixall on it anytime it started to itch. It did take awhile for that rash to clear up, but it did and with minimal itching.

Wound care for scrapes/cuts/burns- including sunburns- Just spray on affected area. Eli is constantly scraping his knees like any active 4 yr old should be in the summer. We just spray him down. It keeps the affected area from becoming infected plus promotes healing. I've personally used it for sunburn relief. It instantly takes out the sting of a burn- sun or let's say, hot broth splashing on your arm. Yes, I did that one too, ended up with a 2nd degree burn OUCH! But with Nixall, it cleared it up within days.

Ticks- The ticks are BAD this year! This isn't a "proven" use for Nixall, but it's what we noticed. When I spray myself down with Nixall, I don't get ticks. When I don't use Nixall, I find ticks on me. Also, when I have a tick, I spray it with Nixall- they have either backed out, or been very easy to remove.

Preservative for Liquid Soap Nuts- with the 10:1 dilution rate using liquid soap nuts, Nixall will act as a preservative, keeping your solution from going bad.