What have we been up to......

Summer is quickly passing! We finished up softball with closing ceremonies Saturday and I am glad to finally be done and have that off the schedule.  My daughter did really well and made a lot of progress.  She loved it and is looking forward to playing next year.

We are looking forward to finally being able to relax and enjoy summer!  I see a lot of days relaxing by the pool and I have a couple other fun things planned. What fun things do you have planned for your kids this summer?


I don't know about you, but I am always looking for the perfect nail cream/oil. I have hard nails, but they will get dry and start to split and peel. I put this recipe together a couple weeks ago and I have been using it every night since. I have noticed a huge difference in my nails and so far no splitting and peeling. It will be a great addition come winter when the cold, dry air depletes the moisture from my nails. Give it a try and let me know what you think? What do you use to keep your nails and cuticles in tip top shape?

I am looking forward to hear how you will be spending your summer.  I am always looking for great ideas and activities. Happy Wednesday!

Sugar Scrub...

I love this sugar scrub!  I use it a couple times a week.  It keeps my skin feeling soft and smooth.  It is also great on your feet to keep them nice and smooth, especially during the summer months when you are wearing sandals.  I like to switch out the oils for endless possibilities.  Take a few minutes to whip it together and let me know what you think!  

Hair Rinse

I first made this hair rinse a couple years ago.  Since then, I have revised it just a little. I had ran out and just didn't take the time to make more.  When I finally did a couple weeks ago, I had forgotten how much of a difference it made in my hair. It cuts down on the frizziness and my hair is also softer.

Eyelash Serum...

Are your lashes short?  Are they looking a little thin?  Breaking?  This eyelash serum is just what you need.  It nourishes your lashes while you sleep at night.  This serum is a blend of lemon, lavender, and fractionated coconut oil.  The fractionated coconut oil stimulates new growth.  It is also nourishing and moisturizing to your lashes. Lemon oil cleanses and stimulates the lashes. The lavender provides nourishment to your lashes and follicles. I apply this nightly after removing my makeup.  It didn't take long after I first started using it for me to notice a difference in my lashes.  They are longer and much healthier now.

Hair Rinse.....

A couple of months ago I started using this wonderful hair rinse.  Having naturally curly hair, it can be a nightmare finding products that work and work well.  This hair rinse does wonders for adding thickness to my hair and tames the frizz at the same time.  It contains two essential oils Rosemary and Lavender.  Rosemary strengthens, cleans, and nourishes the hair.  It encourages growth and helps with breakage.  Lavender in addition to the same benefits as Rosemary, it also helps tame frizz.  Whether you have naturally curly hair, straight hair or colored treated hair this is for everyone.  I even use it on my girls!!

Lavender & Rosemary Hair Rinse

4 cups water (filtered if possible)

8 drops Rosemary essential oil

8 drops Lavender essential oil

1 tsp Borax (optional, I don't use)

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar, a mason jar is perfect for this.  I fill a small glass spray bottle and keep it in my shower.  After shampoo and condition, I spray thoroughly covering my hair and scalp.  I do not rinse this out.  I massage it into my scalp.  This rinse will last you a couple weeks, depending on how often you use.  I use it every time I wash my hair. 

My hair is so soft after and I can definitely tell when I don't use it.  Enjoy your beautifully soft and luxurious hair!

Sunburn

Labor Day weekend is upon us and I know everyone will be at the beach or outside and many of us will come home to sunburns.  Living in Colorado, sunburns are extremely common.  Unfortunately, back in May I had forgotten just how quickly we can burn.  My daughter had been outside playing all day and got burned.  Lucky for me, I have a great alternative that helps ease the pain and heal them quicker, lavender and virgin coconut oil.   Did you know lavender has tissue regeneration healing properties and also helps reduces scarring.  Lavender is also a natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory, so it is soothing to the skin and helps minimize pain.  Extra-virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil is extremely moisturizing to the skin as well as gently helps exfoliate the skin which promotes healing.  I used this all summer on my girls and myself to help keep us from peeling, heal quickly, and ease the pain.   

 Sunburn Cream

1/2 cup coconut oil

6-8 drops Lavender essential oil

Mix well and store in an airtight glass jar, I prefer Mason jars. 

You can very easily double or even triple the recipe.  Just make sure you 

store in an extremely airtight container as coconut oil melts 

when it gets warm.

 

 

How to get rid of Varicose and Spider Veins

How many of us spend our summer trying to cover up unsightly varicose or spider veins.  No matter how young or old we are, we can still have varicose or spider veins.  I have had spider veins since I was a teenager.  I even had injections to help get rid of them and it only lightened them slightly.  Most women end up with varicose veins due to pregnancy, some from having to stand too long or it is just genetics.

Regardless of how or why we have them, they are unsightly and we don't want them. There are a couple different options to help rid you of those unsightly things, so you can try one or both.

Option 1:  In 2 oz of fractionated coconut oil add 30 drops Cypress, 20 drops Lavender, and 10 drops Lemon or any other citrus oil you prefer.  Apply morning and night, massaging oils into your skin in an upwards motion.

Option 2:  Helichrysum.  You can add it to a lotion or fractionated coconut oil or even mix it into the healing salve.  You can choose to get the benefit of the other added oils or you can use just Helichrysum.  Apply twice a day.

Helichrysum and Cypress are the big players in these blends.  The reason for that is they help get your blood circulating.  By doing so, it strengthens the vascular wall and allows them to do the job they are meant to.  Citrus oils help with fluid retention and Lavender helps bring it all together.  If you are going to be out in the sun, remember to leave out the citrus oils as they intensify the effects of the sun.

I hope this is helpful and helps save you thousands of dollars in vein surgeries!!!

Homemade Sugar Scrub

I have a new favorite and it is my homemade sugar scrub.  It is so easy and simple to make.  First you need to choose your base oil.  I use coconut oil because it is extremely nourishing to the skin.  It does get a little hard, but when I rub with sugar/oil combination in my hands, it easily spreads.  You could also use fractionated coconut oil instead.  It is antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial.  It helps build and repair the skin.  It is great for older skin as it helps smooth out wrinkles and even helps with skin conditions such as dermatitis or psoriasis.  A couple other choices are jojoba oil, almond oil, avocado oil or even just plain olive oil.  You can either use what you have on hand or you can do some research and decide which oil fits your needs best.  Next you get to choose what oils you want to use.  I am currently using Citrus Bliss (because I like the sweet citrus smell) and Grapefruit.  I choose grapefruit because it helps smooth and tone problem areas.  It is really good for cellulite, a major plus!!!  Other great oils to choose are lavender as it is soothing to the skin and has a calming scent, cypress is stimulating and helps with blood circulation, or you can just choose your favorite scents and start mixing.

Sugar Scrub

2 cups of white sugar

2/3 to 1 cup of coconut oil (or oil of choice)

15 drops Citrus Bliss

15 drops Grapefruit 

(or 30-40 drops of your choice of oils)

Melt oil and pour over sugar.  Add your essential oils and stir to combine.  Store in an airtight container.  

Check out Nature's Modern Mom's homemade sugar scrub recipe.

Healing Salve

With the healthy benefits of coconut oil, moisturizing olive oil, and pure plant essential oils this salve is a definitely one to make and keep on hand.  

A couple years ago I came across a recipe for a homemade pertroleum jelly.  After doing some research and realizing how bad the real stuff was, I decided to give it a try.  Earlier this year I came across the same recipe, but with one addition, coconut oil.  I decided to give it a try as I love coconut oil and I fell in love!  I choose to make mine and add Lavender, Lemon, and Melaleuca oil in mine.  You can choose whatever combination you like.  I choose those specifically because of the properties of the oils.  Lavender is soothing and calming to the skin.  It is also great for bruises, scrapes, burns, and minor cuts.  Melaleuca oil kills bacteria, viruses, and fungus.  Lemon oil is a powerful antiseptic, it increases circulation, and has been known to help strengthen nails.  I chose this oil specifically because I was going to be putting it on my nails nightly.  I wanted to oils to help heal my dry hands, but also strengthen my nails.  I put this on my heels at night and it helps keep my feet nice and soft.  I also put this on my sunburn.  This salve is perfect for dry, cracking heels, dry hands, sunburn, dry skin patches, dry lips, and so many other ways.

Healing Salve

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup olive oil

4 T. beeswax pellets

Slowly melt all ingredients together in a double broiler until melted.  This recipe will fill four 4 oz jam jars.  Now the fun part, decide which essential oils to add.  I used 10 drops lavender, 8 drops lemon, and 6 drops melaleuca.  You can use frankincense, lavender, and cypress for an anti-aging blend or you can use lavender, lemon, and peppermint for an anti-histamine blend or just pick your favorite scent.

Pollen, Grass, and Dust Oh My.....

Spring is my favorite time of year. However, spring does not agree with me. Last year I tried every allergy medication available and even used a couple nasal sprays and none of them worked. I struggled through the spring and could barely stand to be outdoors. The doctor I saw even told me to just spend my entire spring outside. Seriously, I have two girls who love being outside and I was not about to spend the beautiful days indoors. So I suffered through the long two months. This year, I decided there had to be a better alternative. I finally it! LLP allergy blend. I made a blend of lavender, lemon, and peppermint essential oil diluted with coconut oil and it has worked wonders.  Lavender, lemon, and peppermint are natural antihistamines.  Together these oils help combat inflammation, allergies, and chronic issues.  I put it on my feet morning and night (of course when I remember lol) and then as needed on my chest and forehead throughout the day.

LLP Allergy Blend

10 drops lavender EO

10 drops lemon EO

10 drops peppermint EO

30 drops fractionated coconut oil

I combined all of these in a roller bottle.

My spring is looking up, I hope yours is too!  Contact me to find out how you can get these oils.