Things We Use Everyday

No doubt about it, I LOVE Essential Oils.  I've been using Essential Oils for about 2 years give or take a month.  I did a lot of research and I'm still doing research.  I started with the cheap ones, because why not?  Why waste money on something that you don't know if it will work like someone says it did for them.

So... just know, if EOs work for me in one way, they may or may NOT work for you in the same way.  I'm not a Doctor and I can't remember the last time I stayed at a Holiday Inn (I know Hubby and I did on our honeymoon 34 years ago.)  Just like Rx meds and their side effects, some people get them, some don't. More on my research into EOs later.

Today I want to tell you about three ways we use EOs everyday.

1. Flavored Coconut Oil for Oil Pulling

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave

 Melt the oil at 30 second intervals.  I love these tiny Ball jars for this stuff, they fit well in the medicine cabinet too.

Add 30 drops of Young Living Peppermint EO

 If I'm using EOs for anything that goes ON or IN my body I use Young Living.  Their oils are Therapeutic Grade which means you can ingest them.  This peppermint oil is great in water too.  Drinking water can freshen your breath.

Stir the Peppermint oil in with a toothpick.

 Taste the oil from the toothpick, need a little more? Go for it!

Put it in the Fridge

 After it hardens, it's ready to put in the bathroom cabinet.  Scoop out a tablespoon and start Oil Pulling!  You've never Oil Pulled?  Read about it HERE

After cooling it looks like the jar on the left

2.  Coconut Oil with Thieves EO.    That's what the jar on the left in the above picture has inside.  I melted the coconut oil just as above and added 30 drops of Thieves Oil
then it's cooled in the fridge.  I use this oil combination everyday.  I just scoop out a less than teaspoon size dollop and melt it in my hands.  Then I rub it on my feet and legs and let it soak in while I'm getting ready for work.  

As you know I work in an Elementary School as the School Secretary.  I sit in what we call Vomit Row.  Not a day goes by that a child doesn't stroll past my desk with a trash can under their chin, or they are ailing from something worse.

Honestly I haven't been sick in close to.... 7, 8, 9 years?  I can't remember.  No I haven't used Thieves all those years but I have for the last two.  Just one more layer of protection against those germs that adapt all the time.  I have noticed (in the last 2 years) that I don't get my seasonal respiratory stuff anymore!  Could be the Thieves.  It's an immune booster.

3.  POO SPRAY - this is the item that Hubby will bring me the bottle from the bathroom when we run out.   "We're outta POO SPRAY!!!"  After Hubby's cancer in his sinuses he can't tolerate the smells of commercial made air fresheners.  They are repulsive to him and give him a headache.  They can't be good for you. 

I use a 4oz blue GLASS bottle

 Use glass because EOs tend to erode plastic over time.  You know how old Tupperware feels sticky?  Yeah, that's what happens.  The colored glass (blue or brown/amber) protect the EO's potency.  Light weakens EOs.  It's the same reason our meds come in amber bottles or solid white from the drug store. 

Add 30 drops of Lemongrass EO

Notice I'm using a different brand EO.  Yeah I'm going with a cheaper brand, it's not going on my body.  It's going in the potty!

30 drops Bergamont

 You don't want to put this brand EO in your mouth, trust me....  I thought about calling Poison Control that day that I did.  What I do in the name of research.

30 drops Grapefruit, mmmmm yummy

 You see how I'm holding the bottle here?  This is the proper way to measure out a drop of oil.  By holding the bottle straight up and down you will get the same size drop with every drop.  I just couldn't take a picture and show the name of the oil in the other pics and I'm not a professional photographer, I'm not even an amateur.

Top off the bottle with water.  Tap water, it's going in the potty.

Put the top on the bottle, shake well before each use and spray!

I got these bottles on Amazon.com.  I may have bought the spray nozzles separate there too.  We keep a bottle of this in each bathroom.  We use it like the famous potty spray that is quiet a few dollars more to buy than this stuff is to make.  (Those bottles of EO will last you quiet a while.)  You can spray it in the toilet before you go, or you can spray it as a room freshener after you go.  It works great either way.

I keep a small bottle in my purse too!

Let me know if you make your own flavored Oil Pulling blend or Poo Spray.

Next time, we'll talk about how I've used the same DISPOSABLE razor for 9 months now...  it's still going strong, and NO my legs are not nicked and hairy.

Stay warm!

Ommmm, stay calmmmmmm

Are you getting a case of holiday anxiety yet?  It's trying to creep up on me but I'm fighting it back.

I took yesterday off so that I could finish a few projects and I'm trying to find some cookie recipes to make cookies for gifts for my office staff.  I still need to get the Christmas tree down from the attic. 

I'm dreading that, remember how Gracie trashed the tree 3 or 4 times last year?   She is bouncing off the walls because it's too cold for her to stay outside for very long.  You should see her nail station... she's shredded it!  Her newest obsession is hanging off the back of the recliner by her toenails and swinging back and forth as the recliner rocks.  She's practicing her "devil kitty dance", that one where she points her ears back like horns and arches her back and walks sideways towards me.  She waits until I leave the room and then gnaws my yarn in two.  Just like a jealous child trying to get your attention. 

So, yesterday while I was off I did a lot of sewing I don't like sewing as much as I used to.

I have this on going problem.  Even without a cat in the sewing machine, I'm already sewing in a walk-in linen closet, with yarn stacked to the ceiling, an ironing board on my back and a vacuum cleaner under my right arm.  Then she insists on being on the sewing machine cabinet!

Any way, I managed to make these: 

A few more sets of Sandwich Rapz & Bagz. 

Pretty cool huh?

That was the inside of one, now for the outside...

I haven't made the bag to match this wrap yet.  I am wondering if they would sell on Etsy.

I may have to check with some of my blog buddies who have Etsy accounts.  

I would have to ask $10 for a set because the cost of that plastic coating is unbelievable, like $6 a yard and it's not a square yard... 17"x 36".  I can get 2 sets out of a yard.  For these I used quilting fat quarters.  I could probably cut costs by not using pre-cut fabric and just using yardage.  Then you have the Wonder-under and the binding.  Before you know it you've spent $10 on it... oh yeah, you have to have a button and elastic cording to close it with and what about the original Baggie who gave it's life for this project?  I rounded up some 'already been used' (ABU) for them this time, but what about when I no longer have the need to by Baggies because I have a gazillion of these laying around?  Oh the dilemma of going into business.  

I'll just stick to my knitting and make these on the fly when someone wants a set.  I'll just tell them flat out "I'll need 10 bucks to buy your stuff to make them."  See what they say to that.  Probably the same thing Jody said... "I'll just stick to Baggies, thanks." 

Oh well, time to get to my list.

• finish laundry
• buy firewood
• grocery store
• make cookies
• get the decorations out
• put up the tree
• clean the bathrooms
• mop the kitchen floor before the health department shows up
• knit
• sew
• knit some more Jolea said that she would like to have a Irish Fisherman's sweater.... not this year sweetheart.
• make a cake AND a pie for Jody to take to his work party.
• watch Christmas Vacation (the honest to goodness story of Jody's family gatherings at Christmas) again.

Next blog I'll regale you with stories about Starbucks, I promise.  Have a great week.

Wow, I just remembered, we are out of school for Winter Break (2 weeks) starting next weekend.

Finished this a couple of weeks ago...

... yeah, I'm on the ball.  I made this cap for Jeff for his birthday.  It's the yarn left over from Di's hat.

His birthday was on Nov. 26th.  He forgot it here and didn't get it until he came back last weekend.  It'll come in handy when he goes to Big Sky, Montana for a good friend's wedding.  He's going to be the best man.

I stayed home today, used up a little comp time.  Decorated the house.... there's a wreath on the door.

Uhmm, I made this...

Nita had made Jody a chocolate pie because his birthday was Friday and he deserved one he has to suffer through having chocolate cake everyday in his lunch.   The pie didn't last long enough so I made another one yesterday.   

I took today off to recover from the holiday.  I had plenty of projects to keep me busy, I blocked the Kool-Aid sweater and started working on these, 

it's a reusable snack bag.  You know.... no more baggies.  See the inside... looks pretty, because it's laminated fabric!

It zips shut just like a baggie, because it's got a baggie zipper in it.  Only two baggies lost their lives for these projects. I should have used recycled baggies but I didn't have any.

 Holds a lot too!   

 Ready to go. I'm already seeing things that I can improve on.

I made one from some muslin that I had in my left over fabric stash.

It's laminated inside too, it's only one layer of fabric and not two like the red one that is made of two pieces of fabric laminated together with one layer plastic coated.  I was really surprised that Jody was impressed with it and said that he would use it in his lunch! He usually doesn't go for my 'green' ideas because he thinks I'm foregoing convenience.  We shall see tomorrow when I load it with Fritos. 

Then I made this...

the inside,

the outside this was vintage fabric that was probably some of my Grandma's stash, I got it from Mom about 15 years ago.

I fused them together and then ironed on the plastic coating and it's sandwich wrap!  

Fold it once,

twice,

three times,

 and four,  I don't have the closure on it yet I will either attach a button and an elastic loop or maybe velcro.  I had to make a run to Hobby Lobby to get some things and then to the Eye Dr. and then time to cook dinner when I got home, but the bread is still wrapped inside and it's not even dry!

Before I went out I whipped up a couple of reusable produce bags.

I have some of these that I picked up in the bargain bin, 3 for $1.99 regular $6+.  I bought two sets for me and a set each for Nita and Di.  I bought all they had in the bin.  All the while I was thinking "I can make these!"  So I did. 

My restful day was pretty productive, but that's the way I like my days off to be, otherwise I feel like I've wasted a day.  

YUM!

By the way... I got my ideas from this book.

Is it boring here or is it just me?

I was catching up on some blogs Friday evening, Jody was working late.  As I was reading the Barefoot Kitchen Witch's post for that day. After reading what they were up to I thought that it would be so fun to do something like that.

The witch family is so cool.  They do the neatest things with the kids. They have the greenest thumbs too, HUGE garden, and Jayne is always cooking something, bread, cheese, 47 dozen cookies, cakes that are works of art.  I wish she could be my next door neighbor I'd be fat as a hog.

So I fired up the wood burning stove.

I knew I'd have to heat the little skillet for quiet awhile in order to cook something.  We keep the red pot on the stove top with water in it to add moisture to the house.

This was going to take a lot longer than my Rachel Ray record breaking 20 minute meal.

Actually, Jody called and said he was on his way home an hour and a half had already past so I zipped up to Dairy Queen and got us some burgers. 

 Oh well, I tried it again Saturday morning.  Jody was about to leave for work and he stoked the fire up for me and gave me the pirate look when I said that I was going to cook something on the stove. 

 Here we go!

 Not hot enough :(  That egg white should have turned the instant that it hit the pan.

Back to technology.  You have got to have plenty of time to cook on a fire or fire place.

 Within minutes... it's done!

Speaking of done... one sleeve done the second started today.  It's been a good knitting weekend.

I did toss a piece of bread with a slice of cheese on the stove to see what would happen.  I forgot about it....  started cleaning house and found it later in the day, cold and dry, the cheese had melted a bit but dried out after the fire died out.

Y'all go check out all the yummy stuff that Jayne and her family create.

Oh well!.......

I had this whole rant going, but it got too negative so I shelved it.

I'll post some picture instead, ommmmm

 I finished the hat I was knitting for my sister-in-law Di.

 It's got a lacy band on it, kinda a Rasta shape to it.

 We met Michael and Di for dinner last  Sunday night.  Di was having her third chemo the next day.  Michael was starting tests, he has been diagnosed with Prostate cancer. 

 I finished the shawl on the big Tri-loom.  I found only one boo-boo after it was off.

 Here's what it looks like on, whoops!  I sent this picture to Jolea. Remember when she had one like this?  The difference is the 'arresting' cop is a good friend of hers. It took her a second look to notice.

 And the back.

The front. 

That's it for now.  Have a good week!