DIY Apricot Oil Makeup Remover #RenewalizeApricotOil

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my policy tab for more information.


For the past few years, I have been very conscious of what I put in and on my body. After educating myself on on the nasty chemicals beauty companies use, I have started making a lot of my own health and beauty products at home. I started collecting an assortment of natural and organic oils to incorporate into my beauty products. One that I have recently discovered, and absolutely love, is apricot oil. I have been getting a lot of use out of Organic Apricot Kernel Oil by Renewalize. It offers many benefits when you use it on your hair and skin. 

For Hair

• Helps restore shine to damaged and chemically treated hair
• Helps cure dry and flaky scalp

For Skin

• Massages- It is easily absorbed into the skin, so it won't leave people feeling greasy afterwards.
• Protects the skin from harmful UV rays, while reversing the damage that may have already occurred.
• Removes impurities and dead skin cells.
• Moisturizer to soften and smooth the skin.
• Reduces skin irritation from dry skin.
• Helps reduce inflammation, itching and redness from eczema.
• Substitute for Hand and Foot Cream.
• Reduces wrinkles and fine lines.

Renewalize Organic Apricot Oil is USDA Certified Organic, so you get nothing but pure apricot oil. It is cold pressed from dried apricot seeds and stored in an amber colored glass bottle to prevent deterioration from sunlight. The oil itself is a pale yellow color, and while they say apricot oil is supposed to have a slight nutty scent, I did not notice any scent at all. For me, that's great because it makes for a fabulous carrier oil for essential oils. I just blend a few drops of my essential oil with a few drops of the apricot oil and am good to go. Apricot oil makes for an amazing moisturizer! I rubbed a few drops into my skin and felt immediate relief from dry and itchy skin. It absorbed extremely quickly, leaving my skin soft with a slight glow. It was not greasy at all! If you are looking for a way to soften and moisturize your skin with all natural products, I highly recommend Renewalize Organic Apricot Oil.

Organic Apricot Kernel Oil by Renewalize is available to purchase on Amazon for $18.99 for a 4 ounce bottle.

In addition to rubbing the oil directly to my skin and hair, I have been using the apricot oil in this homemade makeup remover.

Combine all of these ingredients together.

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon tear-free baby shampoo
1 teaspoon coconut oil
5 drops Apricot Oil
Oil from 2 Vitamin E Oil Capsules

Store in an air-tight container. To keep bacteria out of the solution, I use a clean dropper to soak a cotton ball. The solution can sit at room temperature, but I prefer to keep it in the refrigerator as the cold solution reduces puffiness under the eyes. Discard any unused solution within 2 weeks.

Have you ever used apricot oil? Do you like to make your own health and beauty care products?

De-stress With Homemade Lavender & Green Tea Bath Salts #LavenderOil

*Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Policy tab for more information.


It is very rare for me to take over the counter medicines, and last week I talked about how I have been using essential oils for natural health remedies. Not only do I use them to help keep me healthy, essential oils have multiple use benefits. One that I find myself turning to time and time again is lavender essential oil. An all-around relaxer, the scent of lavender can soothe the nervous system, acts as a mood booster, assist with insomnia, and eases headaches. Because it has great anti-bacterial properties, lavender is one of the best remedies for burns, stings, cuts and irritated skin. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that don't have to be diluted. You can apply it directly to the skin without diluting it with a carrier oil.

Since it is so versatile, I use lavender essential oil quite frequently in my homemade bath and body products, as well as cleaning products. The scent is so calming, it is one of my favorites. Having it on hand is an absolute must, and I am currently obsessed with Applejack Life Lavender Essential Oil.

Applejack Life's Lavender Essential Oil is 100% pure, therapeutic grade oil. They steam distill the oil to ensure it is produced with the highest quality. It comes packaged in an amber colored glass bottle to protect the oil from breaking down in light. When I first opened the package, the scent was very strong, so I knew the quality of the oil was amazing. Just having the bottle opened filled my kitchen with the soothing aroma of lavender! Combined with the generous 4 ounce bottle, I am not going to be running though it quickly. It does come with a free dropper, so no need to purchase a dropper to remove the product from the jar. Whether you are new to essential oils or a longtime user, lavender essential oil is one that should always be on hand. You can get Applejack Life 100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil on Amazon for $24.50.

I mostly use lavender oil for it's calming properties, and one of my favorite ways to de-stress is by soaking in a hot bath. Of course, no bath is complete without adding in some soothing essentials. I love to combine lavender oil in some salts and loose green tea for the ultimate bath soak.

Adding salts to the bath is an incredible way to draw toxins from the body. They are also great at relieving inflammation and cramping. Green tea detoxifies and soothes stressed skin,  fights inflammation, and firms and balances skin tone.

When I want to de-stress, I draw a hot bath, pour in these lavender and green tea bath salts, and let it work its magic.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Epsom salt
• 1 cup sea salt
•  8 green tea bags (I use Celestial Seasonings Organic Green Tea)
• 4-6 drops Applejack Life Lavender Essential Oil

 Directions:

In a large bowl, combine salts with the loose tea from the tea bags.
Stir in essential oil until you reach desired scent.
Pour 1/2 cup into warm bath water.
Store any unused salts in an air-tight container.

Since my dogs are allergic to some commercial air fresheners, I also keep a spritzer bottle in the bathroom with homemade lavender vanilla room spray.

To make the room spray, combine 4 drops lavender oil, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon Epsom salt in 4 ounces of water. Store in a dark glass spray bottle. *Do not use a plastic bottle as the oil can break down plastic*.

I will sometimes spritz a little on my pillow to help me sleep better at night.

I can't say enough great things about essential oils. My husband doubted their benefits until he saw them work firsthand. Even though he gets weird looks from his buddies,  now he goes around encouraging others to give them a try too!

Applejack Life offers a 90 day, no-hassle money back guarantee. Try them. You'll like them!

Do you like the scent of lavender? Have you tried lavender essential oils before?

DIY Peppermint Foot Scrub & Cooling Lip Balm With Majestic Pure Peppermint Essential Oil

 *Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Policy tab for more information.


A few years back I was extremely sick. It seemed the more I went to the doctor for help, the worse I felt. For 2 years I tried medication after medication, and by the last one I truly felt like I was knocking on death's door. I knew if something didn't change, I probably wasn't going to make it much longer. I scrapped my prescriptions and started looking for alternative methods of healing myself naturally, which led me to the many benefits of using essential oils for natural healing. *I am NOT advising anyone to go against their doctor's wishes or give up their current medications. I am merely pointing out one of the ways on how I took control of my own health. Please do your own research and make decisions on what you feel is best for you* Since I have ulcerative colitis, I was intrigued by the use of peppermint essential oils because it sounded like it offered many benefits in helping to alleviate some of my symptoms.

Peppermint Oil has many uses:

• Aids Digestion. Place a drop in your morning herbal tea.
• Improves Concentration and Alertness. Use 2 drops on the tongue and 1 under the nose.
• Helps Boost Energy Levels. Rub a few drops on the back of the neck and shoulders.
• Curbs Appetites. Just inhale the scent to trigger a sense of fullness.
• Clears Congestion. Add a few drops to a humidifier. 
• Relieve Bug Bite Itch. Use 1 drop peppermint oil and 1 drop lavender oil. Apply to bite.
• Relieves stomach aches. Rub a drop into the belly. 
• Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties.
• Treats Dandruff. Add a few drops to shampoo.
• Natural Insecticide. It repels ants, spiders, roaches, fleas and mice.
• Relieves Headaches.
• Freshens Breath.

One of my favorite Peppermint Essential Oils is from Majestic Pure Cosmeceuticals.

Majestic Pure offers premium quality peppermint essential oil that is 100% pure and natural. It is non-toxic, has no additives, no fillers, is unfiltered and undiluted. It is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

I like that is comes in a large, tinted glass bottle that comes with a dropper for easy access. I have seen other peppermint essential oils running for twice as much as what you get from Majestic Pure. You get a generously sized 4 ounce bottle on Amazon for $14.50!

Peppermint Oil is intense and more concentrated than other oils, so it may be necessary for those with sensitive skin to dilute the oil with a carrier oil like jojoba or almond oil before use.

My lips get super chapped in the winter and I love to make my own natural healing and cooling lip balm. This recipe leaves my lips soft and moisturized, and it tastes good too!

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Almond Oil
1 Tablespoon Beeswax
2 Teaspoons Honey (I prefer organic Golden Blossom Honey)
15-20 Drops Majestic Pure Peppermint Essential Oil

Directions:

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm oil, beeswax and honey until just melted.
Remove from heat. Add in peppermint essential oil.
Set pan in shallow ice-water bath.
Using a whisk, rapidly stir for 30 to 60 seconds until the honey is incorporated and mixture starts to turn thick (like the consistency of frosting).
Pour mixture into an airtight container. Seal closed.
Let mixture sit for 2 hours before use.


I love to use scrubs on my body, and adding essential oils is a great way to get some aromatherapy benefits too! My feet get really dry in the winter, but when I use this Peppermint Foot Scrub, it leaves them feeling soft and moisturized. Best of all, it feels so good on tired and swollen feet!

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups Unscented Epsom Salt
½ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
15- 20 Drops Majestic Pure Peppermint Essential Oil
Food Coloring (optional)

Directions:

Combine Epsom Salt and Olive Oil until just mixed.
Add in peppermint oil. Stir to combine.
If desired, add in a drop or two of food coloring. I used green to stick with the overall mint color theme, but it's totally up to you if you want to leave it natural color or select a prettier one.
Store in an airtight container.

*To avoid getting water in the bottle, scoop out what you need before getting into the shower. Rub into damp feet until all salt is dissolved.

Do you use essential oils? Which one do you use most often?

DIY Peter Pan Happy Thoughts Jar

My daughter has been keeping a "happy thoughts" jar every year, for the past few years. Whenever something good happens, she writes it down, then puts it into the jar. At the end of the year she will go back and reflect on all the good that happened throughout the year. She's had a crummy looking jar since she started, so I decided to make her a prettier one for Christmas this year. She just loves Peter Pan, so I thought it would be fitting to make her a Peter Pan Happy Thoughts Jar!

I cut some Peter Pan Silhouettes out of vinyl with my Cameo, along with the happy thoughts saying, then popped them onto a glass jar. If you don't have a cameo, you could always print out the design you want, tape the paper to the inside of the jar, then trace the stencils on with paint on the outside of the jar. Easy peasy too, just a little more time consuming waiting for it to dry.

Fill it up with all your happy thoughts throughout the year. It doesn't have to be handwritten notes either. Pop in some ticket stubs, charms and trinkets. Whatever reminds you of your happy times!

For less than $5, she has a custom happy thoughts jar that she loves!

How do you keep track of your happy moments throughout the year?

DIY! New Year's TP Firecracker Treat Holders

At midnight on New Year's Day, I hear a lot of my neighbors setting of fireworks. I am too cheap and lazy to stand out in the cold setting them off myself, but I thought my kids would get a kick out of making these "firecracker" candy holders to tear into on New Year's. They are super easy to put together because they are made with items you probably already have laying around the house.

All you need is empty toilet paper rolls, scrapbook paper, tissue paper, ribbon and candy. 

Start by cutting a sheet of tissue paper in half. It will now be the perfect length to overlap on the tp roll. Wrap it around the roll, cutting it where the ends meet. Tape to secure. Tie one end of the tissue paper closed with ribbon. Fill toilet paper roll with candy. Secure other end with additional ribbon. Tape colorful scrapbook paper around the roll, and Voila! Cheap and easy firecrackers for New Year's celebrations!

 

These would also work great for July 4th crafting too!

Do you light fireworks for New Year's?

DIY Candy Bar Cake

A few years back I made a "cake" out of candy bars for my nephew's birthday. He absolutely loved it! Mariah's boyfriend just had a birthday, so I thought maybe I'd be nice and make him one too. The nice thing about this "cake" is that you can use any candy bar to make it. Use the same, mix them up. It really doesn't matter. Just make sure the bars are about equal in size so it isn't totally lopsided.

I used Hershey's because that was what was on sale that week, and I bought one of these foam rings at the $1 store, so this craft is relatively inexpensive, but a huge hit with teens! 

This is a pretty self explanatory craft. Just hot glue your candy around the ring. I stuffed the inside of the ring with tissue paper, then topped it with some Hershey's Kisses. Wrap a ribbon around, then you are all done!

What kind of candy bars would you use on your cake?

DIY Tissue Paper Pom Poms!

Woot, Woot! College football season has begun! Allison likes to pretend to get into the game with us, so I thought I would whip her up her own set of pom poms so she could cheer on our team. These tissue paper pom poms are so simple to make, they can be thrown together in about 5 minutes. Best of all, you can customize the colors to match your favorite team. Since we are huge Notre Dame fans, I chose blue and gold for our poms.

Start by stacking 4 pieces of tissue paper together. Fold stack in half. Starting from the open end of the stack, cut slits towards the fold, stopping about 1/2 inch from it.

Hot glue the end of a wooden dowel at the end of the stack.

Start rolling the folded end around the dowel until you reach the other end. Secure in place with another dab of hot glue.

 

 Flip it over, fluff it up, and you are all done! (For a more poofy pom, group 2 or 3 sets of the tissue paper cut outs together, then secure with glue and a ribbon.)

Do you watch football? What team are you rooting for?

 

DIY Countdown to Disney Yarn Wreath

We are taking the girls to Disney this fall, and I thought it would be fun to make a Countdown to Disney Yarn Wreath so they could get excited about the trip a little every day leading up to our departure. Since it's going to be a one time use kind of craft, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. The circular craft wreaths were running over $5 at the craft store for the large ones and the smaller ones were around $4 each. I really didn't want to spend more than $10 on all the supplies, but thanks to Pinterest, this nifty idea helped keep the cost to under $5, which included all the yarn and supplies.

Simply pick up some of this foam pipe insulation at the local hardware store (mine only cost 98¢), wrap it in a circle to the size you want your wreath, then hold it together with some duct tape.

I picked up some red and black yarn for a little over $1 each at Michael's, as well as a wooden cut out piece. 2 yellow buttons were under $1.

Wrap the bottom half of your wreath with the red yarn, securing ends with a little hot glue. (TIP! Do not put hot glue on the foam. It will melt it! Instead, place more duct tape where you want to glue, and glue to that!)  Repeat with the black yarn for the top half.

Wrap your smaller circles (for the ears) in black yarn, then attach them to the bigger circle with more more black yarn, followed by a dab of hot glue to secure.

Glue on 2 buttons at the base of the wreath.

I painted my wooden piece with a little chalkboard paint and secured it with some hot glue. Then my wreath was complete.


Tell me something you love about Disney! A favorite place to visit in the park, your favorite character, or even your favorite Disney film :)

DIY Sugar Lip Scrubs

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When my girls start complaining of boredom in the summer, we usually take a few hours and make some of our own beauty products. I had a list already prepared of things I wanted us to make together this year, but when I was looking over my older daughter's gift wish list, I saw she had sugar lip scrub on it. I have never heard of this before, but when I saw it cost $10 for a small container, I did a little research and saw that we could make the exact same stuff for less than $1!

I took to Pinterest to find a recipe, and they all looked pretty much the same, but when we made it ourselves, it seemed a little too runny. So, I came up with my own little recipe that my girls absolutely love!

1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
1/2 tablespoon organic coconut oil, room temperature (soft, but not liquified)
1 teaspoon honey
food coloring (optional)

and to make fun flavors, I bought a sampler pack of these Lorann Hard Candy Flavoring Oils on Amazon.

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Add in a few drops of the candy flavoring to get your desired taste.

*Sugar lip scrubs are meant to be used as a prep for lip balm. Simply dab some on your lips and rub until the sugar is dissolved. Follow up with your favorite lip balm.

I have very dry lips and usually use argon oil on them when they feel really dry, but using this sugar lip scrub has made a world of difference in how soft my lips are.

We played around with the flavors and colors. My girls loved the Cotton Candy and  Bomb Pop flavored lip scrubs the best! And I loved knowing that we saved a ton making our own!

We have already made a few beauty products that we love this year, aside from these lip scrubs. One of them was hand and body lotion that Karen, over at The Feral Turtle was kind enough to share with us. If you haven't been to her site, I highly recommend you stop by. She always has the most amazing craft projects posted. She does a lot of soap making too, but I have been too much of a pansy to try that myself so far. But the lotion was easy and worked wonders on my daughter's dry skin! Get her Hand and Body Lotion Recipe Here!

What is your favorite beauty product to make yourself?

$100 Bathroom Fix

We completely gutted the kid's bathroom and redid the whole thing about 3 years ago. I was really loving the results until I noticed my kids love to use the wall as a brace when getting out of the tub. Even though we used a gloss bathroom paint, ugly water streaks were popping up on the paint.

I love home renovation. The planning, the demo, even the scent of construction makes me really happy. What I do NOT like to do, is paint. Painting sucks! I knew that if I repainted the bathroom, I was going to have to do it all over again in another 3 years. Something I was completely not looking forward to! So, it came down to the best solution. Slapping up some vinyl wainscoting.

It went from this:

To This:

I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first, but now that it's up, I think with the extra white, it really brightens the room up more. For only $100, I get to avoid repainting the bathroom again! Money well spent.

*Do you do your own home renovations, or do you prefer to pay someone to do them for you?

Brown Sugar Body Scrub DIY

I love sugar scrubs! They leave your skin feeling so soft, and they are fabulous at scraping off the dead skin. If you use body scrubs, you know they they can be quite expensive in the store. I like to make my own versions, and I think that they turn out even better than those pricey ones in the stores! We made candy cane sugar scrub and this brown sugar body scrub and passed them out as gifts last Christmas, and they were a huge hit. We will be passing them out again this year too!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (I like to use almond oil too)
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Stir all together until all ingredients are completely mixed together. Easy as pie, and smells just as good :)

Homemade Hippie

Mariah wasn't sure if she was going to go out Trick or Treating this year, but since her best friend is going, she decided to tag along. They decided they wanted to be hippies this year, but when we got to the costume store the hippie outfits were over $60. No Thank You! I decided we could make one for much cheaper. We hit up Goodwill for some skinny jeans, got a white shirt from Wal-Mart, clearance tie dye, and a scrap of white fabric all totaling less than $20.

Mariah did her own tie dye job.

I sewed the scrap fabric onto the skinny jeans to make bell bottoms and a headband. Then the hippie outfit was complete. Maybe it's me, but I think creating your own costume is so much more fun than store bought ones anyway!

Darn sun, but it's the only shot I got when we went Trick or Treating at the local church this year.

Do you like to make your own costumes, or do you prefer store bought? (We store bought Allison's this year!)

Jack Skellington Halloween Tree

I bought this tree a few years back with the intentions of finding some really cool ornaments for it. After browsing online and at our local stores, I came to to conclusion that the Halloween ornaments that are currently sold suck! I really wanted some cool Nightmare Before Christmas ornaments, and the ones that I found were awesome, but they were just too big for my little tree.

So, I decided to make my own. I bought some small white bulbs from the Christmas section at Michael's, grabbed a black sharpie marker, and thus, Jack Skellington bulbs were born.

Add a few purple and black mini bulbs, and now I am happy with my spooky tree.

 

Do you like the Nightmare Before Christmas? Did you make any Halloween crafts this year?

Mike Wazowski Mini Pumpkin

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I hate carving pumpkins. Absolutely HATE it! My carved pumpkins usually end up looking like a mangled mess, so I've passed the pumpkin carving duties on to my husband. I prefer to paint them, so each year I get a mini pumpkin and craft it up.

Last year we made this spider pumpkin:

This year my girls were really into the movie Monster's University, so we made a Mike Wazowski pumpkin!

All we needed was some lime green felt, pipe cleaners, and some lime green craft paint to get the job done.

We started by removing the stem, then painting the pumpkin green. Once dried, we cut down the pipe cleaners for the arms and legs and horns, attaching them to the body with some hot glue. We cut hands and feet out of the felt, attaching them to the pipe cleaner with a dab more of the hot glue. Paint an eye and mouth on, and voila! A Mike Wazowski Halloween Pumpkin was born.

Do you like to carve or paint your pumpkins?