american beauty berry salve

the other day, the boys and i collected american beauty berry leaves from around our property and made a homemade mosquito repellant!!
we have made beauty berry jam in the past and i've heard you can dry them too to eat!
let's see what the experts have to say about these native, gorgeous purple berries!

"Compounds found in beautyberry leaves have shown amazing natural insect repellent properties, proving the worth of the centuries-old practice of placing leaves under mule harnesses to deter biting insects.

In 2006, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Products Utilization Research Unit in Oxford, MS, found that extracts from beautyberry leaves could match DEET for repelling mosquitoes. The next year, experiments showed that the active ingredients from the leaves (callicarpenal and intermedeol) provided 100-percent repellency of black-legged ticks for three hours. In 2008, the four-person research team, headed by chemist Charles Cantrell in Mississippi and entomologist Jerome Klun in Maryland, published research that added fire ants to the list of pests repelled by essential oil distilled from beautyberry leaves.

Cantrell says toxicity testing is needed to evaluate the safety of applying potent beautyberry compounds to human skin. “Plants containing these compounds have long been used as folk remedies with no ill effects that we know of, so I would not anticipate any harmful effects when plants are used in the traditional way,” he says."

cool, right?! 

let's get started!!!

American Beauty Berry Salve

fresh, bright green leaves from the American Beauty Berry plant

vodka or other clear liquor, around 100 proof (50%)

cheesecloth

mason jars

coconut oil

beeswax beadlets

any additional desired essential oils (lemongrass is very effective against mosquitoes as well)

Compactly press all the fresh leaves into a mason jar or other container. Pour vodka into the jar and fill it up about half as much as the leaves. Seal and shake jar. Let set overnight in the refrigerator. Pour the mixture into a high-powered blender and add liquid coconut oil. A good ratio is 5 or 6 parts oil to 1 part herb/alcohol mixture. Blend for about 3 minutes. Pour all into a cheesecloth set over another mason jar. Squeeze to get all the oil out. (Compost leftover plant material)

Pour infused oil into the top of a double boiler or a glass bowl set on top of simmering water. Heat and add 1 ounce (weight) of beeswax for every 1 cup of oil. Add any desired additional essential oils now. Once its all melted (about 15 minutes), pour into jars of choice! 

a house tour! (finally...)

Well. 
It's only been a year since we moved into this house before I finally got a blog post up. 
Ha!

We renovated it top to bottom and have spent the past year making it into our home. We literally changed every single thing in here…from the floors to the ceiling. And everything in between. We ripped up all the floors and re-laid them with laminate and carpet. We scrubbed, primed, and painted all the walls. We painted all of the trim and moulding. We painted every door and replaced all the hardware. We stripped and painted the cabinets, kitchen and bathrooms. And replaced that hardware. We changed out almost every single light fixture. We stripped all of the popcorn ceilings off and repainted them. We replaced all of the vents. We replaced the kitchen sink and the faucet and installed a reverse osmosis for our well. We scrubbed all of the sinks to the bare bones and refinished the faucets in all the bathrooms. We replaced all of the toilets in the house. We took down shelves and cabinets that didn't belong and put in shelves and cabinets in the laundry room. We took off ugly kitchen cabinet doors and ugly tile backsplash and put up bead board and trim. We replaced the range hood in the kitchen. We redid all the kitchen counter tops with concrete counters. We put in a new septic system and a new driveway. We put up a carport for our cars since this little house didn't have a garage.
We decorated and redecorated. We unpacked all of our belongings that have been in storage for over two years and place them lovingly in little nooks and corners. The boys got to unpack toys they haven't seen or remembered. We set up a new school room (yet again).

We made this house into a home.

And we did all of this for under $20,000.

At times I thought this was a waste of time. Or a waste of money. This is a temporary house while we build our big, forever home. But we are trying to build this big, forever home on a budget. And the best way to do that is to do it slowly. So we will be in this little house for a few years. And our thought was we might as well make it into our home. And it's been a year and I'm proud to say that this little house is our home now. And while it's not ideal maybe, we love it. Besides, it's the people inside and the love shared that really count anyway.

the boys' room

the dining room turned school room

nursery

my bathroom

kitchen

living room

dining room

*not pictured: the boys' bathroom (a yucky boys' bathroom), Mike's bathroom (another yucky boy's bathroom), the laundry room (boring), and our bedroom, which is never usually clean enough to take a picture of :)

things i DON'T do homemade.

you all know that i try to do a lot homemade.

diy deodorant, toothpaste, hairspray, lotions, dish and laundry detergents, hair conditioner, baby wipes and spray, house cleaners, etc.

and we try to get as minimalistic as possible too, with shampoo bars, organic soaps, essential oils as remedies, cloth napkins, cloth diapers, and etc.

but there are some things that i just can't live without. 

or can't homemake. 

or (shh!) haven't tried to homemake yet. 

here's my guilty pleasure list:

nail polish/remover.

cannot live without my nails being "dun up". any suggestions on diy or organic nail care?

makeup.

i know there are organic products out there but i haven't found one that beats maybelliene mascara. i only ever wear eyeliner, mascara, and blush so i don't feel too terrible about this one...
although! i found a "recipe" for homemade beet-root blush that i will be trying, post-haste!

bugspray.

ok. help on this one. we've tried so many diy remedies from essential oils to old wives' tales but darnit if i can't find one that beats good, old-fashioned OFF. especially in texas in the summer. 

sunscreen.

aaaaaany and all recipes welcome! i've seen many a recipe but haven't tried any yet. does your work? i've seen many including carrot seed essential oil...anyone with diy experience on this? i'd love to try but i don't want to spend $40 on a tiny bottle if it's not gonna work...

clothes.

i (kinda) like to sew.  i am not very good. i make the boys' stockings, curtains, Halloween costumes, and the occasional miscellaneous item or two. but clothes are always probably something i'll go shopping for. 

so, that's about it. but i'm sure there are more.  what suggestions do you have for me??  i would love to try your recipes and tricks!!

homemade remineralizing toothpaste

So, maybe you know about our efforts to go more granola.
Like homemade hairspray or diy deodorant.
And now we are on to homemade remineralizing toothpaste!
It's easy and while it might take a couple days to adjust to the taste, it's really quite tasty.
Completely healthy with no additives.
And the best part?
Actually cures cavities.
No. Joke.
Just give it a try and see.

ps- my boys love it.

Homemade Remineralizing Toothpaste
Makes a small tub...I'd say equivalent to a tube.
5 tablespoons calcium carbonate...found here
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons stevia...totally optional but it takes the slight bitter taste out
3-5 tablespoons organic coconut oil, warmed until it reaches it's liquid state
Essential oils, to taste...we use peppermint, orange, clove is great for a slight numbing if you have sensitive teeth too

Mix the calcium carbonate, baking soda, and stevia in a small bowl.
Slowly whisk in coconut oil, a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Add 5-15 drops of your preferred essential oils, to taste.
Taste a bit on your tongue and add more oils or stevia to taste!
That's it!
*Just scoop some out with your toothbrush or popsicle stick.

diy hairspray!

i'm working on making us completely chemical free.

this diy hairspray was the last of the chemicals in our bathroom!

woohoo!

i've got a few more "favorites" around the house but i'll be working on eliminating those asap ;)

enjoy!

and, yes, it works!

just a side note, if you have dark hair, use an orange instead of a lemon.

lemon juice are known to slightly lighten hair if you go out into the sun so, just to be safe, brunettes use an orange!

DIY Hairspray

Makes about a cup or so.

1 lemon or orange, cut into wedges

2 cups distilled water

3 tablespoons vodka or other clear grain alcohol

8-10 drops essential oil, or more to suit (optional, as it's just for "flavor")

Combine citrus wedges and water in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat until reduced by half.

Strain through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.  If you've overboiled, add distilled water to equal one cup.

Cool.

Add alcohol and essential oils and swirl to mix.  

Pour into desired container and enjoy!

Note: shake before using and if your sprayer gets plugged, use hot water to unclog.

homemade coconut deodorant

I know, I know.
Odd.
Or beyond odd.
But, my mama is a breast cancer survivor.
The docs told her to use a natural deodorant.
We started researching and realized how much yucky stuff goes into deodorant/antiperspirant.
A. Lot.
Even the natural stuff.
So, I decided to make my own.

And it works!!
All natural and 4 ingredients (or less!), you can't beat that.

Homemade Coconut Deodorant
Make one little tub (or enough for a standard size deodorant tube)
Adapted from several online sources.
1/4 cup arrowroot (or cornstarch)
1/4 cup baking soda
5 tablespoons coconut oil, pure, organic, melted
A few drops rose oil or other essential oil of your choice (optional)

Sift arrowroot and soda together in a small bowl.

Add coconut oil.

Whisk until powders are dissolved and mixture is very smooth.
*Add essential oil(s) now, if using.*

Pour into a small bowl and pinch out with fingertips and rub into skin.
Or...
Let set for a bit in the fridge (depending on how hot your house is) and pour/mold into empty deodorant container and use as normal.

laundry detergent + A NEW BABY BOY :)

I know this is a cooking blog but I came across this recipe for homemade, "green" laundry detergent and I just had to try it.
Did you know that laundry detergents at the store run somewhere around $0.60+ per load?
This one?
About $0.02 per load.

Can't beat that :)

Well, okay.
I can beat that.

The cutest thing on this earth just made his appearance in our lives.
The cost for that?
= 28 hours of hard labor + a few extra pounds of "cravings" + one loving and Godly husband that made it home just in time from his deployment to witness the birth of his first son.

*sigh*

Laundry Detergent

Makes 2 1/2ish gallons

4 cups water, boiling
2 cups grated soap (I used organic soap...about one large bar plus one travel sized bar)
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda (not baking soda)
2 gallons water

Bring your water to a boil, add grated soap (I used my food processor to make this easier), and reduce to low until melted.  *This might take a bit of time depending on what soap you use.  It took me about 15 minutes to get it completely melted*
Pour into a large 5 gallon bucket.  Add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved.  Add the water and stir.  Pour into an old laundry detergent container and use 1/4 cup for a load.  Shake well before using because the detergent might gel.

*And sorry for the terrible pictures.  I used organic soap...but it was brown.  Makes for some ugly detergent.*

Use on itty bitty baby clothes and big, strong Marine cammis :)