Simplicity Saturday: Homemade deodorant

Those who know me know that I love my convenience items. Life is busy and I want to be able to get things done quickly and easily. However, I also love DIY cleaners and things like that - I think they are safer for the environment as well as for my family, and as long as I plan ahead a bit so that I always have some on hand, they are pretty quick and easy to make. One DIY item I've made and liked recently is deodorant.



I admit I was hesitant at first to make this since I sweat a lot and was really worried about being stinky all summer. But since I had the ingredients for this popular deodorant recipe from Passionate Homemaking, I decided to give it a try.

I started out with these 3 ingredients:

Coconut oil (I used Nutiva)
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch

And I decided that I would try to refill an old deodorant stick with it. I just took a knife and scraped out any last little pieces of the old deodorant so that it was fairly clean, like this:



First, I mixed the baking soda and cornstarch in a bowl. Now that I've been using this deodorant for a while, I admit that I'll do something different with this next time I make it. This part is a little gritty and it kind of cakes in my armpit.



Then I added in the coconut oil and mixed it all up and started to scoop it into my empty deodorant tube.



When the tube was full I just kind of smoothed over the top - with one use it becomes pretty smooth, so there's no use really spending a lot of time on smoothing it over.



I had a bit that didn't fit, so I just put it into a small jelly jar. I did add a bit of tea-tree oil first, just to try something a little different in that part of the batch. And that's it, quick and easy homemade deodorant!

Wishlist Wednesday

Well, since summer's here, it's time to think about what I want to get done! Of course I have some research/school goals, but I want to talk about personal and family goals here. I'd really, in general, like to focus on strengthening our family relationships, making our home more liveable, and making sure that I don't get lost in this whole crazy world of marriage and family. To that end, here are my Top 10 wishes for a great summer:

10. Clean out the garage and junk room.
Here's what I'm starting with.
This could take the whole summer if I let it!


9. Organize and clean out Pooh's toys.
Then maybe we'll have room to put the Wall Tracks back in his room.


8. Begin - and maintain - a regular workout routine.
I used to be much more fit before marriage and family.
Look at the definition in those arms! I want that back!


7. Eat more chocolate.
Skinny chocolate, that is!
I've recently been following the Trim Healthy Mama plan, and loving it.
More on that later.


6. Find a class to take, just for me.
Sewing? Computer programming? I'm not sure what yet.
But just because I've graduated doesn't mean I can't still learn something new!


5. Plan one full family activity every week.
Here's a recent outing to check out the bluebonnets.
I love getting us out of the house and doing something different


4. Spend more time with extended family.
After almost losing Dad this year, we want to really appreciate our time left with him!


3. Have regular swim dates with Pooh.
He loves the water, at least after he gets a bit used to it,
and this can be our special time together too.


2. Have a weekly date with P-Daddy.
Maybe we'll find more beautiful food presentations like this one at a local sushi restaurant.
Even if not, we'll build our relationship together.


1. Tell P-Daddy and Pooh every single day that I love them.

Planning for Summer Success

It's been so so long since I blogged much of anything. Suffice it to say that this past year has been one wild and crazy ride! I'm so glad that summer is finally here, we've made it through my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, and I can actually breathe again! I've spent a lot of time thinking about food and recipes and what to eat and what NOT to eat, and what I realize is that if I want myself and my family to eat healthy, I simply have to plan more.

Now, I'm not a big fan of daily menus; P-Daddy won't follow them, and I'm not much good at being consistent with following them either. That doesn't mean I can't plan, it just means I need to do things a little differently. What works for me is to simply know what I have on hand for different meals, so that I'm not left thinking there's nothing to eat in my totally stuffed pantry and freezer! Since I love freezer cooking, I have lots of stuff in there that I've frozen at various points in this past semester. Right now, I'm challenging myself to eat from my pantry and clean out some of the stock that I have. This is just a SMALL sampling of what's in there. Many of them are labeled. Some are surprises :-)



Here's what I am thinking for this week:

Breakfasts:
oatmeal (X3)
eggs, bacon or ham, flatbread (X2)
THM pancakes
Whole wheat sourdough bread with SF jelly

Lunches:
Lean turkey, lettuce, and tomato on a flatbread (X2)
Cheeseburger pie and green beans
Tilapia tacos, carrots
Frittata (X2)
Bean burritos w/ peppers and onions,

Dinners:
Sauteed salmon, broccoli, carrots
Tilapia fillets, spinach, focaccia
Cheeseburger pie, green beans
Taco salad w/ cheese, sour cream, and a few refried beans
Turkey hot dogs, carrots, popcorn (movie and popcorn night with Pooh)
Fooled Ya Pizza with cauliflower crust

Snacks:
Skinny chocolate
Greek yogurt with berries
Carrots
Cottage Berry Whip
Ricotta Creme
Almonds
Strawberries with whipped cream


I'm checking out all the other great menu plans this week at orgjunkie.com and linking up over there. Come on over and take a look with me!