In the park..

We had a fun afternoon in the park with my little Doolittle today, we collected leafs,branches and stones and made houses and people, we build a camp fire and cooked  the fish that we fished *(pretend play)
We followed big footprints to find the big monster, then we found a large ant nest and put down some cookie crumbs, we watched how they took it back in to there hole . We talked about what the ants were doing ,how they collect food to take to the colony and drew out on the dirt how we imagined there nest would look like under earth..
We pretended we were secret spies looking for important things.. and we eventually found hes airplane that we misplaced    -:)
We ended our afternoon with some juice and a snack..

I love spending time and playing with my little Doolittle's..

Painting with side walk chalk paint

Kids were getting restless indoors yesterday afternoon  so i whipped up some side walk chalk paint and went outside to play.
Little Doolittle s had fun painting ,spatting paint on the concrete outside. Its super easy to prepare and very fast too ,kids can help out mixing and adding the colors.This kept them busy for about an hour then they were just painting each other and the poor dog -:)

 Its easy to clean just spray down with the water hose..

 This is how it looks when its dry..

 The recipe is easy to follow i used food coloring you could use tempera paints also..

Healing salve

I am going to share with you a super healing salve made with 3 different kinds of  butters and 2 oils.
First butter is Shea butter., a few of the benefits of Shea are:

21 REASONS TO USE SHEA BUTTER:

Shea Butter will provide improvement in all the conditions listed below. As you use this multi-purpose cream you are likely to discover additional uses. The amount of time required for optimum results with various conditions may vary with each condition. Wrinkles, for example, require 4 to 6 weeks of daily use. Itching is relieved immediately.

1. Dry skin
02. skin rash
03. Skin peeling, after tanning
04. Blemishes and wrinkles
05. Itching skin
06. Sunburn
07. Shaving cream for a smooth silky shave.
08. Small skin wounds
09. Skin cracks
10. Tough or rough skin (on feet.)
11. Cold weather,
12. Frost bites
13. Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy
14. Insect bites
15. Healthy skin
16. Muscle fatigue, aches and tension
17. For before and after strenuous exercise
18. Skin allergies such as poison ivy or poison oak
19. Eczema
20. Dermatitis
21. Skin damage from heat (hot grease while cooking, radiation treatment for certain medical problems, etc.)

Then its mango butter and some of the benefits are:

That’s what mango butter can do for you: make you that sexy, exotic woman with lusciously smooth skin that nobody could ever dream of resisting. The smell is irresistible, and the touch of it is unbelievable.

• Has skin softening, soothing & moisturizing properties.
• This semi/hard butter is off-white in color and very similar to cocoa butter.
• Helps to combat dry skin, eczema and dermatitis.
• Is helpful in protecting the skin from the weather and UV radiation.
• Said to be effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
• Reported to benefit frostbite, sunburn, insect bites, rashes and stretch marks.
• Contains anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties.
• Is non-greasy and absorbs easily into the skin.
• Has a shelf life of up to 24 months if stored in a cool, dry, dark location.
• Produces a hard bar with a stable, conditioning lather when used in soap making

However, to get down to the real reason for the rejuvenating effect that the mango has on your skin, it
 is largely down to antioxidants. There are small molecules known as free radicals that are generated 
by the effect of UV sunlight on your skin, and also by pesticides, cigarette smoke and other 

pollutants.

Then we have cocoa butter: 

• Cocoa butter is extracted from the cacao bean. This moisturizer is one of the most highly concentrated and stable fats available and has been used for thousands of years in lotions, soaps, skin care items and of course, chocolate. The benefits of cocoa butter for preventing stretch marks during pregnancy are well-known. Also, cocoa butter contains cocoa mass polyphenol or CMP. CMP has positive effects on cholesterol, blood pressure, cancer cells, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia and 

  chronic fatigue syndrome. The use of cocoa butter boosts the immune system and promotes a feeling of well-being.

  
  
  

  Now for the recipe:

  1/4 cup mango butter

  1/4 Shea butter

  1/4 cocoa butter

  4 tsp olive oil virgin 

  2 tsp coconut oil virgin organic 

  15 drops essential oil lavender 
  
  
  

  15 drops essential oil geranium or tea tree

  In a double boiler put all the butters and oils until they melt , take off from the heat and add the 
  essential oils. Mix well with a wooden or plastic spoon. Add to your clean sterilized containers and allow to cool down.  The salve will be set up in a few hours but won't be hard it will be like butter our of the refrigerator . If you want it to be hard then store it in the refrigerator , you could even add 2 tsp of bees wax to make it firm up a little, I didn't .

  You could use this  salve for scratches, lips, diaper  rashes , spots, insect bites , eye cream, day cream,feet ,dry elbows and just about anything really.. I use it as a day cream , eye cream, sore  lips, insect bites ,scratches and just about anything that needs healing.. 

  You only need just a little of this salve and it goes along way, its super rich and very effective..

  

  
  

diy liquid detergent

I am going to share with you a really good liquid detergent that i make , its easy to make,cheap,cleans really well and smells great..
This is made with green olive soap, its non toxic and its only 1.30 a bar , i also use this soap for my tub and toilet cleaner.
You will need:
1 bar of green olive soap
i cup of white vinegar
1/2 a cup of baking soda
essential oils of your choise
4 liter bottle
1 grater
1 whisk
1 large pot

So first you need to grate the soap ,it will look like green cheese :-) then you need to add 1 liter water to a pot and put on the heat on medium ,add your soap and whisk until its all disolved, they will be little bits of green soap but not to worry.
Heat and whisk for about 5 minutes then add the vinegar and the baking soda.. Whisk again and add another 2 liters of water , whisk it in well until it looks like soup. It will be runny at first but it will turn thick and creamy the next day. Now add  your essential oils, about 20 drops should be fine, pour it in your bottle ..
I start with 3 liter and then when its all thick i add some more water and give a good shake. You need to shake it well before you use  it each time.. add one cup to each load..
This detergent cleans really well and i don't use any fabric softener either,  i don't use the dryer very often only once a week but i hang my cloths to dry indoors to prevent them from going rock dry, i live in a very dusty area with loads of fields around me so the dust drys the cloths up..
This takes about 10 minutes to make and last for about 2 weeks, i wash cloths every day..
I hope you enjoy this post have a great day..

 

Coffee body scrub...

Now the weather is getting hot and we will be showing some legs and arms we would like them to be in top condition for the beach or for those shorts ..
I've been using this for about a year now with a little break in the winter.. I have a little container were I save my coffee grounds after I make my morning and afternoon coffee, the container should not be airtight and you should spread the coffee around to air dry so it doesn't produce mold..
Some benefits of this body scrub are :

• It helps good blood circulation 
• It reduces cellulite 
• It tightens and firms the skin
• It makes your  skin soft and silky
• It moisturizers your body

So you will need

• I container with a lid about 400 gr I use a yogurt container 
• Coffee grounds 
• 1/2 a cup Olive oil or any carrier oil that you like to use I was happy with oilive oil for this
• 6 tbs Salt
• Essential oils
• 2 tsp Cinnamon 

So what you do is really easy, in a mixing bowl put your coffee and add the olive oil , add your salt and cinnamon .. Mix it all up with a plastic or wooden spoon. What your looking for is for the scrub to be wet and not soupy.. Not to runny but not to dry.. Just moist .. If you need more oil add it in slowly mix and test.. If its to oily just add more coffee .. I just eye ball mine I don't measure any of the ingridients as its so simple you can't go wrong..
When its the right consistency add your oils, about 20 drops should be just enough.. The coffee smell is really strong but the oils you choose will leave a nice scent on your skin. I use lavender , lemon ,rose geranium . A little bit of peppermint will leave a nice tingling sensation to your skin..
So what you do is hop in your bath follow your normal soaping routine and when you rinse off the soap scoop the scrub out with your fingers and massage in to your arms, legs,shoulders and feet for about 5 minutes.. Use a light massaging circular motion and then rinse off. I use it on my face as well once or twice a week and it leaves my face really soft and silky.. You will find that you won't need to apply a moisturizer when you come out and dry because the oil doesn't all wash off , witch is a good thing .. You could use this ever day focussing more on troubled areas or every other day..
Hope you enjoyed this post ..

Ancient statues ..

Today we learned about statues of Achient Greece and Cyprus, we looked at photos online and talked about the meterials they used ,how they made clay and how they were found..
We got  our clay out and made our own little statues , it was fun to see how the little Doolittle made he's and paid close attention to the details.. He really enjoyed this project and the statues turned out so nice I will put them on display as soon as they dry..

We used different materials and tools to make patters and markings on out projects.  

We used toothpicks and forks to make patterns

Making plaques using tooth picks to make patterns 

He made a charm using a chop stick to make holes.

Nature exploring and painting...

It was a lovely sunny day today and the kids were home sick from school, so I took the opportunity to go out and do some nature exploring ..I packed some glue, paints ,water and brushes and gave the kids a basket each and out the door we were.. We collected some flowers ,sticks, stones and snail shells  to make a nature painting..
Kids love to explore and look at the different bugs that are out now , the different wild flowers that are growing in the fields now..
We collected all we needed and set up on the ground in the park to make our project.. It was a fun morning ,we talked about all the different bugs and flowers we met and then they had a little play..

Picking some flowers..

Lovely daisy and ladybug...

A looking for craft materials 

Little snail..

Little caterpillar

Lovely poppies are growing ...

Valentine day craft and gift ideas...

Valentine is almost here and I will share with some ideas that I like for gifts and crafts to make for your kids, friends and loved one:-)
Now valentines day is just a nice  excuse to make crafts , special dinner and decorate . I think we should show our love daily , to care and to be nice should be an every day thing and not once a year..
I also believe that buying expensive gifts is unnecessary , home made gifts are the better and more personal , putting the time and the effort to make them even the smallest gift is more appreciated . I like to send the kids to school with a little suprice in there lunch box and a homemade card. They love it.. We make cup cakes or cookies in the afternoon and prepare a special dinner for the 4 of us to have at night , the dinner table is decorated with crafts we make and the kids take so much pride in there projects and feel so special when everything is ready and set up.
Now lets go see some ideas about what to make and give..

This is so cute and simple. 

Save bottles and fill them up with goodies., you can  get boxes  from ikea that they have for putting glasses in and decorate them..

Buy canvas bags and hand print  heart on it with fabric paint..

These are so cute for kids school as class favors.

Heart garland made with card stock .. 

This is good for kids lunch boxes.

Ideas for reusing jars.

It's been a long time since my last post , now with the holidays long gone and schools and routine are back to usual and getting well after 3 weeks of being sick I finally get in to the mood to compose a post:-)

Well I don't know about you but I save all my containers ,boxes,bottles and glass jars from groceries ( milk, cereal , jams, jellies, spices ). 

Add  fruit in them for school snacks

Use old toys and hot glue them on  top and 

then spray paint them, I love this idea..

Today I am posting some ideas on what to do with your glass jars, so many cool and interesting things out there to make with them. I will post photos for you to get an idea. You could turn them in to vases to store pasta ,beans , herbs and spices, you could store your homemade shampoo, scrubs, conditioners, laundry powder, melt your old candles and make new ones, store buttons, pins, pencils, colors,erasers, make an indoor herb garden the possibilities are endless ..

Grow herbs indoors in jars

I just love this idea of jars as centerpieces with tea lights.so effective..

Make homemade gifts like body butters and scrubs 

Add caption

Store your beans ,lentils ,pasta and rice

Make labels from chalk paint for stationary .

Wrap string around them and make vases