DIY Lavender-Orange Body Butter

DIY Lavender-Orange Body Butter

With the high costs of beauty products nowadays, I decided I wanted to start making my own. Plus, the ingredient list of some items you see in the store or even have in your bathroom is mind baffling. Like why would I want to put all of those chemicals on one of the most important organs; my skin? No thanks!

So I started collecting some items I would need, like organic coconut oil, African Raw unrefined shea butter, apricot kernel oil, and an array of essential oils just to get me started.

For this recipe, I used the above and doTERRA’s lavender and wild orange essential oils.

doterra essential oils

Wild Orange:

  • High in monoterpenes, Wild Orange possesses stimulating and purifying qualities, making it ideal to support healthy immune system function when seasonal threats are high.
  • As with many citrus peel oils, Wild Orange contains powerful antioxidants that help maintain overall health.

Lavender:

  • In ancient times, the Egyptians and Romans used Lavender for bathing, relaxation, cooking, and as a perfume; it is widely used for its calming and relaxing qualities which continue to be Lavender’s most notable qualities.
  • Lavender is frequently used to reduce the appearance of skin imperfections.
  • Add to bath water to soak away stress or apply to the temples and the back of the neck.
  • Add a few drops of Lavender to pillows, bedding, or bottoms of feet to promote a restful night’s sleep.

How to make Lavender-Orange Body Butter

Lavender-Orange Body Butter

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup of unrefined shea butter.
  • 1/2 cup of coconut oil.
  • 1/2 cup of apricot kernel oil. (or any other fast absorbing carrier oil)
  • 15 drops of Lavender and 15 drops of wild orange. (add more for a stronger smell.

Instructions:

  1. Combine the shea butter, the coconut oil, and apricot together in a double boiler, or use a pan and a metal or glass bowl if you don’t have a double boiler. Heat until melted. It’s faster if you break up the shea butter into smaller chunks.
  2. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. It should still be warm.
  3. Add your drops of essential oils. (If it needs more, add 5-10 more drops each.)
  4. Place the bowl in the freezer until slightly hardened. Around 30 minutes. I forgot about mine and it was solid, but it still worked, just took a bit longer to whip.body butter
  5. Whip the solid contents for 5-8 minutes until you get a whipped consistency using a mixer, either hand or stand. I used hand cause that’s all I have atm.
  6. Add body butter to jars. I used Ball brand 4oz jelly jars and it only filled about 3 of them.

I made these as baby shower prizes for my sisters baby shower a couple weeks ago and it was a hit!

I was afraid they’d melt in the summer heat, but nope they stayed whipped. Granted it wasn’t super hot that day, maybe mid-70s.

One of these 4 oz jars lasts a long time and should be shelf stable as long as you get no water in it for at least 6 months. A little bit goes a long way too!

I love it because I have dry skin. Makes my bumpy arms feel so soft after a week of using it.

I’ll be trying to make more chemical free items when I get the chance now that I have a little one, so stay tuned!

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Baby girl update: She’s 15 months now

Baby girl update: She’s 15 months now

Or should I say toddler update since she’s the size of a 2-3 year old. Lol My baby has always been in the 98th percentile and she got it from her mama. Poor girl!

She’s running around now causing as much havoc as possible. She turns the house upside in 2 seconds, literally. Oh the joys of having a constantly messy house. It was never like immaculate clean, but I at least had things organized and put away. Those days are now long gone. So if you can’t stand a messy house, you may not want to visit ours.

She still only has 8 teeth. I’m surprised her molars haven’t started to come in yet, but I aint rushing, cause I hear those are the worst, not only for baby but for parents too! Eek.

Shes starting to play with her toys more so  now than when we first got them. Maybe she was just too little or just not interested before, but thankfully my money didn’t go down the pooper and they’re getting some use out of them. That’s one thing I need to stop doing is buying toys, then shes going to think she constantly gets a new one everytime I go to the store. But, it’s so hard to pass up a good clearance deal at Target. I LOVE TARGET!!! SQUEE. If you’re in the area stopping by and I’m not at home, I’m most likely at Target. Lol

Her vocabulary is getting better. She says mama, daddy, memma (emma) her cousin, owe, wee, yeehaw (Thanks sheriff callie), no (my fault), yes, A for her abc’s, she does the count from sesame streets laugh, ni ni (night night), bye and hi, and some random correct words that she’ll say once. And we’re like, did she really just say that? She’s like a copy machine. I know all kids are. But one night, a few days after the fourth, I said shit when I heard a loud firework go off near us cause my cat was outside and she’ll take off, then of course she copies and said shit too. Thankfully it never stuck and it was a one time thing but it reminds me that I need to be aware that she’s in the learning stage and I have to be careful. Oops!

I still haven’t figured out how to transition her to her room, but I’m completely fine with co sleeping. My husband, however, is not. He told me if we don’t get her moved out of our bed so he can have at least 9 months of good sleep, we won’t be having another baby. Lol lil does he know he isn’t the only one that gets to have a say.

I ordered some bumpers to prevent her from falling off the bed in her room, so ill see how we do with that, even if I have to sleep with her a few night since she’s still breastfeeding. That’s mainly the reason I keep her in our room, cause she still acts like a newborn with her eating schedule. It’s tiring, but I know shes not ready to stop just yet.

This post is long enough so ill stop here until next time. 🙂

Avoid the doctors office and chat with real doctors on Amwell

amwell

“This is a sponsored conversation from Mums the Word Network and Amwell. All opinions are my own”

Before I got pregnant, I hardly ever went to the doctor. I just didn’t feel the need to waste my time by sitting in an office waiting to be called, then sitting in the exam room for a half an hour waiting to be seen for something trivial that could possibly be handled by just dealing with it at home. By dealing with it, I mean contacting Amwell, which is a site with real doctors who call or video chat you to help you out with a diagnoses based on your symptoms.

How awesome is it to not waste gas, bring the kids, or sit around and wait forever?

 Reasons to Use Amwell

  1. Lower cost. Consumers expect online visits to be cost-savers; with in-office visits costing, on average, $82 for first-time patients according to the Healthcare Blue Book, Amwell offers a $49 physician visit – a savings of $33. Great option for students in college looking for cost-effective healthcare or those between jobs and without insurance.
  2. Accessibility. After hours, on weekends and in the middle of the night (24/7/365) availability. Great for those who do have transportation or when you don’t feel well enough to drive and those who are newly relocated and don’t have providers yet.
  3. Convenience. Consumers are looking for a faster appointment. Now they don’t need to schedule an appointment nor do they need to wait to be seen, especially if on vacation or business travel. The doctor can be seen from the comfort and convenience of their own home.
  4. Quick prescriptions. Consumers would rather have an online video visit than an in-office visit to obtain common primary care prescriptions.
  5. Peace of mind. Rather than self-diagnosing or visiting a social forum for medical advice, users can obtain second opinions directly from board certified, licensed doctors.

I’ve been feeling like I have a UTI, so I decided to hop on Amwell and contact a specialist. I described my symptoms and they are prescribing me antibiotics. It’s as quick and as simple as that.

Having a little one makes it hard to do anything let alone visiting a doctor’s office. I’ll be using Amwell from now on for all of my basic needs.

Follow the link and use this code (HEALTHY16) to get your first visit for only a $1!

Learning the Tricks of Etsy and Getting Sales

Learning the Tricks of Etsy and Getting Sales

Around March, my Etsy shop finally decided to take off and I currently have 90 sales under my belt. Now I know to the big Etsy sellers, my measly 90 sales over at my Mean Muggin It is nothing, but to me, it’s a huge milestone.

I’ve worked my butt off trying to fix my listing titles, tags, descriptions, SEO, etc. Basically, it’s like another blog and requires constant effort.

Most people think you just list a few things on Etsy and you’ll get sales; Wrong!

Things I’ve learned about the algorithm of Etsy

 

 

Keywords

  • Titles need to be filled to the max with keywords of your item. I separate them with a backslash or a comma, then paste them into the tag section. You need to use up all 13 tags.
  • Keywords and tags also need to be more than one word. Be descriptive. Think of what you’d be searching for to find your item.
  • Your keywords also need to be implemented into your description. The part where you describe the process and detailing of your item.

Great Photos

It also helps to have clear photos that stand out and catch the eye. I am still working on this part since it’s hard to do great pics in Sunlight and/or inside the house. I am contemplating on building a light box or even purchasing a cheapo one from Amazon to use with both my phone and DSLR camera in hopes that it will make my photos more enticing and in turn generate more sales.

Having your item staged with something next to it to give a size comparison is also good. Shows the buyer just how big your item is comparatively.

 

Profile

I have heard that filling out your profile and policies 100% leads to more views. Regardless of views, you’ll want to do this so you are backed by your shop policies if something were to go awry.

Social Media

You’ll want to build a social media following specifically for your Etsy business. I mainly like Instagram as I get way more interaction there than on Facebook. Probably because the Facebook pages only show to a small percentage of your followers. Don’t sign up for the business Instagram account. They could eventually show you to less and fewer people like Facebook since they were bought out by Facebook.

Establish a following on whatever social media sites you prefer, I recommend Instagram and Pinterest, and to use relative hashtags for your product and watch the likes, comments and follows come in. (Especially on Instagram and Pinterest)

Introduce new products on social media first that way you get them interested enough, they’ll be waiting for you to list it on Etsy. Announce sales with coupon codes, flash sales, giveaways, whatever to get a little online traffic.

Click on the relative hashtags that you’ve used in your posts and go heart a few of the people’s photos who have used the same hashtag. It gets them over to your profile and can lead to a possible sale. For instance, I use the hashtag #idrinkandiknowthings from #gameofthrones since I have made a mug and tumbler with that quote. Then I go heart peoples public posts.

It’s my number 1 seller so far!

There are plenty more tips, so maybe I’ll do a second edition post as I learn more tricks of the trade.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for Etsy sellers whether you’re a buyer or a seller?

A photo of one of my products on Etsy; the simplistic wedding ring dish with initials.

Simplistic Initial Wedding Ring Dish

Camping at Detroit Lake in Oregon

Camping at Detroit Lake in Oregon

A few months ago, we decided to book a camping trip at Detroit Lake, Oregon since our friends had invited us. I was kind of hesitant since baby girl is walking around now and you know, campfires and dirt and uncomfortable air mattresses with a toddler just didn’t sound thrilling. So let’s just say, I had to be optimistic.

It takes about 2 hours from here to there so I knew we needed to leave before she took her late morning/early afternoon nap. We got lucky since she ended up sleeping the entire way there.

We arrive and set up camp, which didn’t take nearly as long as it usually does since we bought an instant tent with poles already attached and ready to go. (Thanks, Target cartwheel for the 40% off! Lol)

detroit lake campground

I brought her playpen and a new camping play toy set on Amazon which kept her occupied while we set stuff up. Then we freed her, and all was fair game says the running rampant toddler.

She walked around part of the campground saying hi to the campers near us. She’s going to be a social butterfly like her dad. I myself like to avoid conversations with strangers since I’m a little socially awkward. I don’t know if I like her being super friendly since this opens up (in my mind) easy access for kidnapping. Hey, you can never be too cautious with the sick people in the world today. But don’t worry, I’m a helicopter mom. I mean, you got to be when they’re this age…

The campground was okay, maybe a little too cramped for my liking since we had the extra parking spots right in our camp area. It’s almost as if we were in the city with very little yard separating us from our neighbors. I guess in a way it’s nice if you want to mingle with strangers, but I prefer more space when you have to pay to camp.

The lake last year was pretty dried up. It still isn’t where it normally is supposed to be, but it at least had a good amount.

detroit lake campground

We sat in our inner tubes in the lake for a little bit, but the current kept pushing us up to the shoreline in the 6 inches of water, so our butts were scraping on the rocks. Arya wanted to hop out of the tube and go play on her own. Lol

She’s starting to become too independent… I just want my baby to stay little forever.

She was having so much fun running around that she didn’t want to take a single nap and fought it pretty much all day until 5 pm. And even then, she only slept 30 minutes and was up til 10:30.

She’s enjoying the world. And when she gets older, she’s going to wish she could nap like I currently wish for myself…ha

Overall, Detroit Lake was fun, but it gets pretty cold through the night, so be sure to bring lots of blankets and warm clothes. I was freezing my butt off!

They have free showers to use, a free activity every day to do, AND toilets… No digging holes for me, yay!

So if you’re looking for a luxury style place to camp in Oregon, try Detroit Lake!

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