My diy mouth wash..

I have a very cool and simple recipe for mouth wash today, I made this last week and its really effective and leaves your mouth nice and fresh..
The store bought kind is full of color and chemicals.

Mouthwash and Oral Cancer

• A scientific study, conducted in Australia in 2009, found a link between oral cancer and mouthwashes containing alcohol. The review was published in the Dental Journal of Australia and called for all alcohol mouthwashes to be removed from shop shelves. The act of holding alcohol in your mouth for a prolonged time while you use mouthwash is thought to allow carcinogens to enter the mouth lining. The review said using alcohol mouthwash on a daily basis is a "significant risk factor" for developing oral cancers. A by-product of alcohol, acetaldehyde, is also believed to be cancer causing and may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth.

Mouthwash and Children

• Mouthwash has also been criticized for putting children in danger. Mouthwashes often have an alcohol content as high as 25 percent, yet it is a product often used by children. Child mouthwashes are often marketed in bright bottles with fragrances, so there is concern children will drink the liquid. A young person consuming an alcoholic substance that strong is potentially harmful and should be avoided.

What you will need:

• Vodka
• Water
• Cinnamon 
• Nutmeg
• Spearmint essential oils
• Jar with a lid.
• Hydrogen peroxide 

So you take half a cup of vodka and poor it in your jar them poor one cup of water on top, them add half a tsp of cinnamon and half of nutmeg. Add 15 drops of spearmint and 1/4 of tsp peroxide. Shake well and store in your bathroom. Shake before every use . 

What you do:

In one cup poor a little bit of the mouth wash solution and fill the rest with water.. About 2 tbsp would be enough, try it out and adjust the amount to fit your taste preference ..   

Why use nutmeg:

Because of its antibacterial properties, nutmeg can also effectively treat halitosis or bad breath. Asyou probably know, bad breath is usually caused by a build-up of bacteria in your mouth. Nutmeg can rid your mouth of these bacteria. This is the reason why nutmeg is a common ingredient in many brands of toothpastes. Nutmeg can also be used to treat gum problems and toothaches.

Why use cinnamon :Recent research conducted in New Zealand demonstrated that theessential oil of cinnamon has the greatest antimicrobial potencyagainst Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria 

responsible for tooth decay, and Lactobacillus plantarum, one of the bacteria responsible in gum disease.  The research study concluded “that there may be a role for essentials oils in the development of novel anticaries (anti cavity) treatments”.

Whole wheat healthy pan cakes..

Sundays I usually make the kids pan cakes for breakfast and they look forward to it so much , it's a treat and one of our rituals that we do . We don't eat white flour or cows milk and we stay away from white processed sugar.
So I will share our recipe with you today:

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 2 tbsp  dark brown sugar of honey 
3. I cup goats milk( could substitute with coconut)
4. Half a cup of butter or I use coconut oil too.
5. 1 large organic egg.
6. 1 tsp of baking soda
7. A pinch of salt

1.So if you are using butter melt it in a pan and whisk it with the sugar and the butter if you are using coconut oil and its not solidified  just whisk the egg and sugar directly in and the honey or sugar.
2. Sift the flour , this gets rid of any lumps and make the pan cakes lighter and fluffier
3.Add the baking soda to the flour and mix in the butter egg mixture along with the milk.
In a pan put 2 tbsp of olive oil and heat it up on medium heat, scoop some of the batter with a soup utensil and flip it around until its golden brown..
We have ours with home made strawberry jam or honey and in seasonal fruit. We love strawberries ,cherries ,bananas are always included in our pancakes , peaches and any yummy fruit. You could add some organic raisins or dry fruit.

Natural sun screen..

Today we're going to talk about the sun and how to protect your skin, well I don't use sunscreen it is just too heavy and chemically for my skin and I always get blocked pores and spots. So I haven't used it in a long  time and i haven't used it on the kids either, what I do use  on our skin is pure virgin raw organic coconut oil and it works great.. I will have a link for a home made sun screen below that I will try my self soon ,
So far we haven't got sun burned and vitamin D is very important to our body so why block it out , try sitting in shady areas instead of the burning sun if your going to be out at the beach for a long time and wear a hat. I keep kids in there swimming tees and baseball hats.
http://wellnessmama.com/2558/natural-homemade-sunscreen-recipe/
This is the link for home made sun screen , you could get the oils and butters from your health store and the zinc oxide from the pharmacy . If you have a regular one that you go to you could tell them to bring it for you, that is what I do with other stuff that I need to.


According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) approximately 75% of commercial sunscreens contain toxic chemicals that are linked to cancer and disrupt hormones.

Store bought sunscreens typically contain:

– Retinyl palmitate, a known skin cancer hazard.

– Oxybenzone, which disrupts hormones leading to cell damage and cancer. Those and other chemicals rubbed on your skin are readily absorbed into your bloodstream and can be just as 
unhealthy and toxic as an oral dose. 


The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) Hoax

An excerpt from a 2012 CNN article about sunscreens:

– Zinc and titanium nanoparticles are in colorless sun screen lotions.

Those and other chemicals rubbed on your skin are readily absorbed into your bloodstream and can be just as unhealthy and toxic as an oral dose. 
Now coconut oil on its own is goo too.

Bruce Fife, ND, author of Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut Oil, explains that coconut oil applied on the skin protects against sunburn and cancer. Unlike sunscreen, unprocessed coconut oil doesn’t completely block the UVB rays that are necessary for vitamin D synthesis. It protects the skin and underlying tissues from damage excessive exposure can cause. Instead of burning or turning red, it produces a light tan, depending on the length of time you spend in the sun. 

Fife asserts that “Consuming coconut oil also strengthens the skin and makes it more resilient and less prone to sunburn.” He warns against using hydrolyzed or processed oil. Just make sure the coconut oil is pure and not processed.

Bathroom cleaner..DiY

This is a diy bathroom cleaner made with natural ingredients that you have at home already. It does the same work as jiff white cream but with out all the chemicals and its cheaper too.
So you will need :

• White vinegar
• 1 cup of Baking soda
• Green fairy liquid 
• Essential oils
• Empty container with a lid

Now what you do is really simple, put the baking soda in your container and sprinkle a few squirts of the fairy liquid, then slowly put 3 table spoons of vinegar and mix it in. The mixture should look like creamy paste. If it needs more vinegar add some slowly until you get the right consistency. Then add your essential oils and mix again . Add as many as you like, I add about 20.
Now put the lid on and when you are ready to scrub some sinks ,toilets or the taps put some of your cream and with a sponge clean ..it leaves the surfaces nice and shiny ..
Have a good time scrubbing..

Homemade water color paints..

Home made water color paints

These are so easy and cheep to make and so fast, we made these and had great results with them..You will need ingredients that you have in your pantry already and kids will have fun making them and painted the masterpiece with them.

You will need:

• 4 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp light golden syrup. 
• 2 tbsp corn starch 
• Food colouring (gels produce a more intense colour than liquid food colouring)
• Mini Muffin Tin

Mix the baking soda with the white vinegar until it stops fizzing, do this in a container with a spout 

Then mix in the golden syrup and corn starch .

Transfer the mixture in a muffin pan and add the food coloring with a toothpick, mix it well to incorporate and add more to get the desired shade.. 

Well that was that simple easy and cool. Now let your kids paint until there hearts desire..

Happy painting ..

The queens guard..

The bottle queens guard man:-)
Well this was fun to make with the kids, this was made when we got back from a holiday in the UK , we had a fabric softener bottle ,back when we use to use store bought:-) and I thought it would be cool to make him in to a Royal Guard..
We covered the bottle with paper tape this insures a smooth finish when the painting process comes and from  an old paper shop bag we covered the top of the bottle, we puffed it up a bit and hot glued it. Then the kids painted it with some acrylic paints. I helped out with the face details and we used gold paint for the details on his costume..
We left him to dry and that was it.. Kids loved him. You could use pon pons for buttons or use the handle of the bottle to make his riffle ..its a good idea to use up any bottles that you have, reusing and creating..
Have a fun weekend..

Clay pot gum ball machine

Today I will show you and tell you how to make a clay pot gum ball machine, this is really good as a gift for any occasion and as a party favor.
I made these for my sons 3rd birthday party and gave them out as party favors. You could make them any color you wish to fit your theme and holiday.
So what you will need is :

1. Clay pot
2. Clay plate
3. Spray paints
4. Hot glue gun( any super strong glue will do)
5. Wooden beads
6. Bottle tops 
7. Candy
8. Round jar( like a fish bowl)

So first spray paint your pot and plate in the desired color with spray paint and set out to dry over night. That helps the smell of paint go way too. Make sure you lay some news paper on the ground so you don't get paint everywhere and so this out doors.
Then spray yout big round beads and bottle tops if using and lay them to dry also.
When everything has dried very well turn the pot upside down and glue the jar on the pot. The bottom part of the pot( see photos)
Them glue on your one bead on the top of the plate with the plate up side down. This will be the top of the gum ball machine. And the bead will be the handle, if you get what I meen. The bottle tops will serve for the opening of the machine were the sweets fall out, in this case just a decorative piece.
And that's it, you could print a gift card or a thank you note and string it around, and fill it with nice candy.
Good sweet luck!!!

Painted rock bugs!!!!

                                                              Kids crafts.
Painted rock bugs.
Painted rocks are fun for kids to do and keeps them busy and happy. Also you get to put there art on display so there proud to:-)
So what we do when we go out for our walks is search to find rocks that look like something, It could be a boat or a bug,animal,car just let your imagination go wild or your kids .. So we collected and got out acrylic paints out and talked about what each rock looks like  what color each bug is and then they started painted them.
Use any color to make them look fantastic, eyes,wings,feet.
These little guys look great in the garden peeping between the bushes and flowers. We've got our on our front door step along with some boots that we planted flowers in. I will cover those in a different post.. Well happy rock collecting and have fun painting ...

Diy loose powder foundation

I made this powder foundation the other day and I would like to sharers with you. It's really simple and inexpensive . The ingredients you might already have in your pantry and its good for those days that is hot to put on loads of makeup and you just want something light and easy to wear with your mascara.
This is also good to use for shine control and over make up as a finishing vail. You would have to adjust to ingredients to get the right shade for your skin tone.
You will need:

• Corn starch or arrowroot
• Coco powder
• Ginger if you have (yellow pigments )
• Green clay ( if you have red pigments)
• Empty container with a lid. You could use old make up ones.

What you do :

Take a bowl and start by adding corn starch or arrowroot and add the coco powder slowly until you get the color tone that matches your skin, add a tiny bit of ginger if your yellow pigmented or  green clay if your red. I use just a touch of beet root to give it a nice tone.

Now the measurements are all about your skin tone. So in mine as I am fair skinned I used coco powder on the tip of the tsp and mixed very well and added more as I went along ,test it on the back of your wrist and see if its good for you. Mix it very well so it's all incorporated and store in your container.

I use mine on days that I don't want to put on a lot of make up and I get a good smooth result.

I have oily skin and this stays on all day on a got day without any shine, I also use it as a setting vail when I put on my makeup to keep my skin shine free.

Benefits of Cornstarch

Although it's a little known secret, many people use cornstarch as a replacement for setting powder. It produces the same desired effect, absorbing the oils from your skin and keeping your entire makeup

presentation fairly matte. Some women have claimed that using cornstarch provides better results than the traditional face powder. Ideally, you should only use a light application of cornstarch after you have applied your makeup.

To apply:

Use a kabuki brush or any soft fluffy one that you have and put some powder in the top of your container ,sweep  it up with your brush and turn the brush up side down and tap it on a surface ,then tab it on your skin starting from the forehead ..

That's is ..good luck.

Decoupage tins

Hi there all! I will share with you my decoupage coffee tins that I made for pencils ,scissors,crayons and just about any stationery for you desk.
These are easy to do and look very nice on any desk or workspace.
What you need :

• Tins
• Mod podge
• Scrap book paper or nice fabric
• Thick paint brush

I got my paper discounted from Ikea , it was a big packet with different paper and scrap book cut outs and photo frame shapes. So I used that, first you will measure your tin and cut your paper or fabric to fit. Then  paint the tin with pod podge and stick the paper on paint on top with more glue to take away any air bubbles and give it another 2 coats of mod podge .
Let it dry for a couple of hours and then use.. That is it have fun ..

DIY deoderant .

I've been meaning to make my own deoderant for a long time now and I tried this last night an it works really well. I make everything else from toothpaste to make up remover ,fabric detergent and much more. Next I will make y out soap and shampoo. It's difficult to find things were we live so I order online witch is more expensive because of the shipping , but thank god for the Internet.
 So here I will give a recipe to make your own with stuff you already have at home.
To will need:

• 3 T Coconut Oil
• 3 T Baking Soda
• 2 T Shea Butter or cocoa butter
• 2 T Arrowroot (optional) or cornstarch 
• Essential Oils (optional) I used tea tree for antiseptic reasons.

So you melt your oils in a double boiler and when there all melted you mix in the cornstarch and the baking soda, add a few drops of essential oils and store in a container with a lid.
You could put it in an old deoderant container and keep it in the fridge in the fridge. Thanks it..
Reasons that you shouldn't use store bought deo.

If you are eating a wholesome, healthy diet and are still using underarm deodorant from the store, it’s time to wake up and smell the roses.

Store deodorant is loaded with chemicals and toxins thateasily penetrate the skin, getting into the blood supply.

It’s even worse if these products are applied soon after shaving.  Tiny nicks in the skin provide an even easier route for chemicals to penetrate the skin barrier directly into the bloodstream.

Drug companies are taking advantage of the ability of skin to absorb chemicals of all kinds with the smokers’ patch being one of the most well known.  There are now skin patches for birth control and a patch for motion sickness when you take a cruise or fly in a plane.

Slathering on the chemicals and heavy metals contained in underarm products day in and day out is a dangerous practice and one that no doubt can contribute to a host of health woes in the long run.

Need some concrete reasons to ditch the store deodorant?  Here is the top ten list to consider before your next shower and where to find nontoxic brands that actually work.

#1:  Parabens

Most deodorants, even those labeled as “natural,” still contain harmful ingredients like parabens affixed to one of the following common prefixes:  methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyl and butyl.

Parabens are dangerous substances, particularly when put on the delicate underarm skin which is so near the breasts.

The Breast Cancer Fund reports that measurable concentrations of six different types of parabens have been identified in breast cancer tumor biopsies.  What’s even more telling is that the concentration of the parabens in the biopsies were in the same approximate concentration that would be found in paraben containing cosmetics like underarm deodorant.

Parabens are not just a risk for the breasts.  Samples of a diverse sample of US adults found parabens in nearly all urine samples as well indicating that these chemicals get into the blood and move around the body before being excreted.

#2:  Aluminum

The heavy metal aluminum is contained in most deodorants and is even disguised in some natural deodorants under the word “alum”. Any compound containing the word “aluminum” would be a problem such as aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly.

Scientific evidence has has demonstrated that aluminum exposure is associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.

#3:  Triclosan

Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.  Preliminary analysis indicates it may be carcinogenic due to potential contamination with dioxin. Triclosan easily crosses cell membranes and is stored in body fat.

A 2006 study has shown that low doses of triclosan act as an endocrine disruptor in the North American bullfrog.  In 2008, a study of juvenile male rats showed that triclosan exposure significantly impacts thyroid hormone concentrations.

Triclosan is in many deodorants labeled as natural so buying at the healthfood store is no protection from this chemical.

#4:  Fragrances

Love the smell of your deodorant?  According to Environmental Working Group (EWG), even natural smelling fragrances like rose may be something else entirely.  The fragrance industry takes great care to hide from the consumer exactly how chemical fragrances are concocted using any blend of the 3,100 stock chemical ingredients that are available.   EWG also reports that:

“The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label. Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.”

Bottom line?  If your deodorant has “fragrance” listed in the ingredients, you really don’t know what’s in it!

#5:  Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Yet another chemical popular in deodorant, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) has been banned in Europe. A well known skin irritant, SLS is also a  suspected carcinogen and has been linked to kidney and liver damage; nervous system disruption; damage to eyes leading to cataracts; eczema and dermatitis.

#6:  Sweat Blockage

Sweating is good!  You want to sweat to release toxins and it is a normal cooling response the body needs.  Blocking sweat with anti-perspirant ingredients is an unhealthy practice and can cause blockage of toxins.

#7:  Deceptive Marketing

Some deodorants, even natural and organic ones like crystals and salt sprays, state that they have no aluminum chloride.  However, if you examine the label in detail you notice that they contain potassium alum. The full chemical name of potassium alum is potassium aluminum sulfate, which is still aluminum.

#8:  Staining and Clumping

What in the world are those clumps left on your skin by conventional deodorants?   This stuff doesn’t completely lather off in the shower either and eventually ruins your shirts by leaving yellow stains that don’t wash out (that’s from the aluminum).

#9:  Ineffectiveness

Many people report that natural versions of conventional deodorants found at the healthfood store are ineffective or only work for a short period of time.

#10:  Store Deodorant is So Uncool!

Let’s face it.  Everything about store deodorant is uncool from the chemicals in the supermarket versions to the hidden baddies and ineffectiveness of the so called “natural” brands at the healthfood store.

The Castle

 We found an box in our recycling box today with Alex and he said I looked like a castle. So we decided to make a castle out of the box , a stick, cardboard paper and toilet tubes.
So we painted the box gray did some shadows and windows with black and painted some flags that we cut out of cardboard paper.
Made towers out of toilet tubes and painted them too. We made a draw bridge and uses pipe cleaners for the chains that holds it up. And hot glued it all together. And that was it Alex had so much fun making it and then got he's toys and played with it..
It's fun and cheaper to use things that will go in the trash to make toys. They love to create them and spend time playing with them longer than the store bought toys..

3 D art. Dinasaur craft.

We did this project a wile back and kids really enjoyed it..  I will post the other themed ones we made with different meterials.
This one is the dinosaur prehistoric one , we used things that we had in the kitchen and in the craft box. I will tell you how we made it .
We had a hard piece of cardboard laying around and we used it for our canvas. I used a glue stick to glue crape paper on In green for our background and then we got the beans out the lentils and the pasta and stuck them on with white glue for the ground. We also stuck on there pebbles and stuff that we collected on one of our nature walks.
We used cotton wool for the clouds and tissue paper pieces for the sky.
Brocken fake flowers that we had and leaves for the prehistoric forest and foam eggs for dinosaur eggs. We went in our Dino toy box and got some that we had twice and hot glued them on and pon pons to look like flowers..
You could use any thing that you have in the kitchen ,in your recycled box and toys that you don't want.. And you end up with a really nice piece of art. Kids spend ages sticking and perfecting there creation. The kitchen looked like Taz attacked  it but it was all worth it and fun..

Pixie dust in a jar...

I made this pixie dust in a jar for my sons 4th birthday as party favors. He loves the one he has and sleeps with it next to him. They glow in the dark like sparkly pixie dust..
So it is simple to make it and here I will tell you how to make it..
Your will need :

1. I mason jar
2. Some glitter
3. Glow paint
4. Labels ( if you are giving it as a gift)
5. String 
6. Paint brush

So here goes, you take your mason jar and dip  your brush in your glow paint ,and paint spots on the inside of the jar . Do this until the inside the jar is covered with dots and spots. Then sprinkle glitter and leave to dry. On the top of the jar do the same. I also spay painted the top with cream color spray paint. You could do it to match your theme..
It's as simple ad pie and you have a glow jar to keep the Kiddos feeling safe in the dark.

 

Wood shaving frame.

Wood shaving frame..

So what do you do with your colored pencil wood shavings ? Through them away naturally. Well I was watching my boy coloring one day and he had a bowl next to him to put all he's pencil shavings in. Well I looked at the bowl and it looked so nice and colorful.

Like wooden rainbow drops. So I got the idea to make a craft with them since it would be a shame to through away such nice colors, and we saved them from then on. A couple o weeks later I got a good amount of shavings and was ready to start.

So I noticed some frames that I had bought from Ikea one day. There the plain wooden ones that are unvarnished with the cheapest price tag. So what you need is this:

1. Wooden shavings 
2. Mod podge or pva glue
   
   
3. Wooden frame
4. Paint brushes

And what you do is this:

Paint the frame with one coat of mod podge and stick your shavings one by one as you go along, stick and cover each shaving with mod podge to keep them in place . Continue to so until you have your frame covered with the shavings. Now you need to give it 2 coats of the glue only and let it dry for a couple of hours..     And that is about it.. You could make some big ones with only one color that would make it look more grown up and sophisticated and you could cover any surface you wish.. These would look nice in a play room or kids room..

So happy shaving collecting ....:-)

Black swallowtails follow up ..

One of our cocoons hatched today and a beautiful butterfly came out.. 
It was such a great experience and the kids were so happy and proud.. The kids took there turn to gently hold her and observe her and then we put it out side on a lemon tree and about one hour later it flew of...

Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, which includes over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family occur on every continent except Antarctica.

Food: caterpillars will only eat the foliage of a group of plants called umbellifers - a group that includes carrot, fennel and angelica, but they show a marked preference for milk parsley. Adults feed on nectar from a variety of flowers.

The swallowtail is Britain's largest and most exotic butterfly. Its name refers to the extensions on the hind-wings which look rather like a swallow's tail. These 'tails' and false 'eyes' on the hind-wing mimic the head and antennae (feelers) of the butterfly. This confuses birds as to the true head of their prey and gives the swallowtail a better chance of escaping. Sadly, this beautiful butterfly is extremely rare in Britain.