Unique. Just Like Everyone Else...

DIY Diaper Rash Cream With Essential Oils

2015-06-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Diaper rash.

Every baby gets it at one time or another, some babies seem like they always have it.
If you're a parent you know that all rash creams are NOT created equally.

Why spend $8 or more on those expensive creams when you can make your own that works just as well...Actually, it works better!

If you've already incorporated oils into your daily life, then you probably have these oils on hand, if not, they're inexpensive and totally worth it!

Here's what you'll need:

Equal parts coconut oil and raw shea butter (I use about 1/4 cup of each)
20-25 drops each tea tree and lavender essential oils
Glass container to store

Here's what you do:

Let me start by saying that the shea butter is completely optional, I like it because, where I live, it gets very hot in the summer and the coconut oil melts. Shea butter keeps it a cream.

Fill a small pot with water and put on med/high heat.

Add coconut oil and shea butter to a glass jar, you can use a mason jar, spaghetti jar, small mixing bowl, whatever, as long as it's glass and big enough to hold the oils but small enough to fit in the pan.

Put the jar in the pot and wait for the oils to melt. Once melted, (it will be clear), remove pot from heat, remove jar from pot, and add essential oils.

Give it a good stir, let the jar cool until it's cooled down enough to hold and put it in the fridge for about 40 minutes or until it starts to harden up.

Whip it with a fork and you're done.

You'll only need a tiny bit for each use so don't go overboard until you get used to the consistency.

Never buy those chemical-ridden diaper creams again!

*As with anything new being introduced to baby, start with a tiny dab to make sure that there isn't any kind of reaction. Use caution and keep out of reach of children.

Petitgrain Essential Oil Benefits

2015-05-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Petitgrain.

If you're relatively new to the "oils" world, then you've probably never heard of it, but keep reading, it may just become one of your favorites!

Petitgrain comes from the orange tree, but it is not orange essential oil. Orange oil comes from the rind of the fruit, while petitgrain comes from the leaves and twigs. (Neroli is derived from the flowers.)

Here are some ailments that petitgrain can help with:

Some of my favorite ways to use it:

Calming:

Diffuse 4-6 drops petitgrain and 4-6 drops bergamot 30 min to an hour

Panic Button Roller:

10 drops petitgrain
10 drops bergamot
10 drops frankincense
10 drops clary sage
10 drops vetiver

add to a 10ml roller and fill with your favorite carrier. Roll on back of neck, wrists, and or chest when you start to panic.
This mix may also help you with insomnia when you apply at night just before bed.

Natural Deodorant Spray:

2 Tbsp magnesium oil
10 drops petitgrain or 5 petitgrain/5 lavender
Pinch of sea salt
witch hazel to fill a 2oz glass spray bottle

Combine sea salt with essential oil in a small bowl. Add to spray bottle, then add magnesium oil and witch hazel to fill. Shake and spritz underarms.

Spearmint Essential Oil

2015-05-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, my favorite thing about Spearmint is its smell! I love to diffuse it while in the bath or even add it to my bath bombs. It's the perfect oil to add to a lip gloss, and it goes well with other oils. I LOVE to put this oil on my diffuser necklace to keep me energized and uplifted.

Here are some other uses for spearmint:

The Benefits of Black Pepper Essential Oil

2015-05-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

I want to show you an oil that doesn't get much attention;

Black Pepper.

It's definitely one of the underrated EOs.
I LOVE this oil in my pain & sore muscle rub but it has many other uses.
Bonus: It's inexpensive!

It's not just a tasty spice anymore. Give it a try!

The Many Wonders of Lavender Essential Oil

2015-05-07T17:31:00.001-07:00

When I first started with essential oils, I'll admit, lavender used to get on my nerves. It seemed like every time I had an ailment, I was told that lavender was the answer. I just didn't get how one oil could do so many different things! Honestly, I thought it was a bunch of bologna.

Fast forward a few months. After a rocky start, lavender and I are best friends. It's one of my very favorite oils and, most importantly, it works!

Have an earache? Rub a little lavender around the outside of your ear.
Stressed? Diffuse lavender.
Sunburn? Lavender
Scar? Lavender
and so on and so forth.

Buy it by the boatload, people! If I could have only one oil, it would probably be this one.

When the Allergy Trio Isn't Enough: Essential Oils for Allergies

2015-04-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! Spring is in the air...and so is pollen, dust, and allergens!

I've found that certain essential oils work just as well as, and sometimes better than traditional allergy medicine and no sleepy side effects.

First, let's talk about the general allergy trio.

Lemon + Lavender + Peppermint

You can apply neat, make a serum, or take in a capsule, (please make sure that your oils are safe to take internally). Personally, we add equal drops of oil to a roll on bottle and top off with grapeseed oil.
For most people, the allergy trio is enough, but some of us need a little more.

Here are some essential oils that you can add to your trio to boost your allergy-fighting power:

Copaiba: If you're into essential oils, you should already have copaiba in your stockpile. It's great for so many things from pain serums, to irritation, to boosting the effects of other oils. Add an equal amount of copaiba to your allergy trio and breathe happy.

Eucalyptus: (globulus) First of all, eucalyptus smells awesome! It can help with asthma symptoms and other respiratory-type conditions. It also eases a scratchy throat and helps clear your head. Add equal drops to your roller bottle trio. If your oils are high-quality, (Do your research!), you can also add eucalyptus globulus to your capsule for internal consumption.

German Chamomile: An anti-allergen and antihistamine, a no-brainer to amp up your trio.

Cypress: A decongestant that clears your sinuses. Yes, please.

Roman Chamomile: This one is great for topical allergies and rashes. You can use this separately, or add to your roll-on.

So give them a try, individually or altogether, and boost your allergy-fighting ability!

DIY Calming Sensory Beads

2015-04-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

I saw these beads the other day on Pinterest and I thought that it was such a cool idea that I had to tell you about it.
I LOVE crafty stuff that doesn't take a lot of time or money and this takes neither.

Sensory play is all the rage right now, and there are so many reasons why.
Kids are attracted to these little beads immediately because they look soft and squishy. They stimulate the senses, not only sight and touch but smell too!
These beads are perfect for taking a little time out and calming down. They would also be a fun part of a bedtime ritual.

Lavender can help calm stress and anxiety, and can also promote sleep. Be careful not to use more than a couple of drops though or it may have and adverse affect.

So run down to your local dollar store, (I went to Michaels because I was in the parking lot but I know that the dollar store has them), and grab a pack or two of water beads similar to these:

Now before you write down the brand name, let me tell you that I do NOT recommend this particular brand. You'll see why in a minute.

So grab your beads and a big container, preferably with a lid if you're going to keep them around for awhile. You'll also need lavender essential oil, (one that's okay for topical use), and some water.

Pour the beads into the container, mix some water with about two to four drops of lavender essential oil, (I used a whisk), and mix. Here's why I was unpleasantly surprised with these particular beads:

Ugh! I've bought water beads a million times before and I've NEVER had them turn the water colors like this. It reminded me a lot of red wine...

so I grabbed a glass of wine and waited.

I had to add water about three times in the next 4-6 hours so that the beads would reach full size.

Then I rinsed for, I kid you not, about 40 minutes.

The great thing was that even after all the rinsing, the beads still smelled amazing. The balls are completely infused with the lavender smell. Yum!

Needless to say, even though these are ideal for little kids, (which I don't have any of right now), my ten year old played with them calmly for about 30 minutes, and gained the "awesome" side-effect of slightly purple fingers.

Learn from my mistake and buy clear beads, or at least make sure that they don't dye the water. Oh and make sure that they're non-toxic, just in case.

DIY Flavored Olive Oil With Essential Oils

2015-04-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to make something with my oils when I saw these pretty bottles at the dollar store. That's right, the dollar store. I find some of the best containers for my concoctions there.

There's an olive mill right near my house that has AMAZING flavored oils in every flavor that you can think of. Problem is, the oil is around 15 or 20 bucks a bottle, for a small(ish) bottle, and. being the frugal mom that I am, I can't be that frivolous.

So this is an easy one: Just fill your (glass) bottle with olive oil and add 8-12 drops of your essential oil depending on which one you choose and how flavored you'd like it to be.
Here are the oils I had to choose from. I brought out all of my citrus oils because, personally, citrus infused oils are my favorite. You could also use Basil, Taste of Italy, Rosemary, etc.

Please make sure that your oils are safe to ingest, this is really important.

I made two oils, lemon in one and lemon/orange in another one.

Shake it up really well and it's ready to use. If you're feeling extra creative, throw some dried rosemary, basil, or other herbs in there for looks and flavor.

Repel Bugs Naturally with Essential Oils

2015-04-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

We've made it through another Winter, it's Spring again! I love almost everything about Spring, the flowers, the weather, the lack of major holidays, (after Easter), but there are two thing that I DON'T like: allergies, and bugs! Today we'll talk about bugs; how to keep them away from your home, and how to kill them if they do come in.

There are so many insect repellent recipes online using EOs, ranging from using just one oil and water to using 10 different oils and loads of other ingredients to make the "concoction". Let's stick with the basics that work. Why add extra stuff if it's not necessary.

Most essential oils will repel bugs as opposed to killing them. There are a few "universal" oils that most bugs hate, lavender is one of them. Spiders, flies, mosquitoes, and more tend to stay away from lavender. Add 7-10 drops of lavender to a spray bottle, fill with water and spray away! You can even spray this right on your horses for horse flies.

Spiders B Gone:

7-10 drops peppermint or tea tree oil
splash of white vinegar (optional)
splash of dish soap (optional)
water
spray bottle

Shake it all together and spray around windows and doors and along baseboards. It's that simple. Reapply every week or two for best results.

Personally, we have a real problem with scorpions here at my house. They're not only hanging out on the back walls but we find at least 10-12 in the house every year. Eeek! Scorpions do NOT like the smell of cedarwood, so this year I'm going to make the above recipe but substitute cedarwood for lavender. Should work like a charm and it won't hurt my kids or animals.

You can alter the above recipe with any of these substitutes depending on what you want to repel:

Thieves Household Cleaner

2015-04-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

1 capful to a 8oz bottle

I bought Thieves cleaner back in January. It sat in my pantry and, honestly, I forgot about.

Fast forward to March and the dreaded "Spring Cleaning". I was out of my regular kitchen spray so I decided to give this little bottle a try. The dilution for "most cleaning applications" was 30:1 so I put 1 capful in my 8oz bottle, (above), and 30 capfuls of tap water. It filled the bottle perfectly.

I cleaned the entire kitchen with this one cleaner and everything was sparkling and smelled great.
Don't get me wrong, there are a few things that this cleaner won't do. For instance, if you haven't cleaned your oven in two years, (guilty), you might need something stronger, but for everyday cleaning Thieves is my new go-to.

Today I decided to try mopping with 5 capfuls to my bucket of water. The floor looks fabulous and, again, the house smells nice and clean. I wish I would have taken an after picture of the mop water. Man, this stuff can clean!

I used 5 capfuls for this bucket

I'm no math genius, actually I'm terrible at math, but if 1 capful makes 8oz of cleaner than this 14.4oz bottle will make a ton! That makes the $22 price tag on this stuff a pretty good deal.

Here are the dilution ratios from the website:

light degreasing 60:1
medium degreasing 30:1
heavy degreasing 15:1
floors 100:1
walls 30:1
upholstery, fabrics, carpet spotting 40:1
carpet 100:1
glass 320:1
pots and pans; 100:1
hand cleaner 1:1

Let's Talk About Oola Essential Oils

2015-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today Young Living began it's Oola line of oils. Instead of being geared toward physical ailments, these stem off in a bit of a different direction. It's all about balancing your life. I'll try to explain what I know, (which isn't much).

The way these oils work is based on aromatherapy. If you're familiar with the law of attraction and intention then you'll understand why these might make sense. For instance, let's say your working on a goal in the financial part of your life. Whether you're writing it out, talking about it, making a dream board, meditating on it, or something else, you would be smelling the scent of "finance" either diffused, topically, or straight from the bottle while focusing on your goal. When you've practiced this and your intention is clear, it's time to get to work.

You'll go out into "the world" and start working on your goal while smelling the scent of "finance". The scent should make your intention stronger somehow and help focus your goal.

You guys, I'm still working on this and trying to wrap my head around it. I don't fully understand it but I always love new things and new ways of looking at things. It's worth looking into.

Get Creative with your Essential Oils

2015-04-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

This year for Easter we decided to buy those

fake plastic eggs to dye.

These eggs would be great for painting but I don't recommend trying to color these in the traditional way with your kids because they float, and barely hold the color.

So after a couple of eggs, I decided to get creative and add some oils to the dye. I grabbed peppermint, lavender, and joy and put one drop into each of the cups. I stirred them up and dunked the eggs.

I pulled them out after a couple of minutes and let them dry. Delicious! What a great holiday potpourri.

Hopefully the dye will hold the scent.

I hope that this post will give you inspiration to get creative with your oils. Try something new, there are tons of ways to incorporate your essential oils into to your everyday life.

Happy Easter!

Simple Foaming Hand Soap and Face Wash

2015-04-05T00:36:00.000-07:00

Is it a hand soap? Is it a face wash?

It's both!

One great thing about making your own home and beauty products is that you know exactly what's in them. Another benefit is cost. I'm sure that you don't normally use your face wash as hand soap, or vise versa, but when you make it yourself, you can!

This recipe was something that the girls at one of my oil parties came up with. We were going to make a hand soap when someone suggested a face wash instead. Now I use it as both.

I'll tell you the recipe and then I'll tell you why these ingredients are great for your skin as well as your hygiene.

Foaming Hand and Face Wash:

Foaming soap bottle (I bought some pre-filled and dumped them out)
About 2T Castile Soap
8-10 drops Tea Tree Oil
Water

First you add the castile soap to the dispenser. Personally, I use Dr. Bronner's because it's the only one that's easy to find around here and it's been around for a LONG time. It comes in a few different "flavors" or plain. The cool thing is that it's made with organic and essential oils. I chose peppermint for this soap. Here's about where it should fill to:

Now just add your oils and then add water to (almost) the top, leave room for the pump.

Be careful, it will foam.

A lot.

That's it. Put on the top and stir it or give it a shake. Don't forget your cute label.

This is a basic recipe, you can definitely get creative with this soap, use different oils, (think lavender, peppermint, or stress away). To be on the safe side, don't use citrus oils unless your container is glass. I've heard that citrus can eat away at plastic. You can also add a little almond or fractionated coconut oil for that added softness.

A quick note on why I chose

tea tree oil and Dr. Bronner's:

To start, tea tree essential oil is antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, and antimicrobial, it can diminish the appearance of scars, (acne), and is also an anti-inflammatory. All of these are great for face and hands and this just names a few of the amazing benefits of tea tree oil!

As far as Dr. Bronner's, here is an excerpt from their website: "You can use Dr. Bronner’s soaps for washing your face, body, hands and hair, for bathing, shaving, brushing your teeth, rinsing fruit, aromatherapy, washing dishes by hand, doing laundry, mopping floors, all-purpose cleaning, washing windows, scrubbing toilets, washing dogs, controlling dust mites, and killing ants and aphids."

There are only a handful of ingredients and most are organic, it's also pretty inexpensive, especially considering how concentrated it is. I haven't done the math, but this big bottle was around $7 for 32oz and I used 2 Tbsp, (1oz.)

I've Discovered Essential Oils

2015-04-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

In the last few months I've discovered the amazing world of essential oils. I use them for everything from allergies, to face wash, to wart removal, and everything in between. Looking back, I don't know how I ever lived without them!

For those of you that are brand new to essential oils, (EOs), like I was, EOs are basically the "oil" of the plant extracted in a special way that keeps the integrity of the oil in tact.

Oils absorb into our bloodstream through our skin, (think nicotine patch), they can also be inhaled, or ingested, (be careful with that last one, not all oils are created equally).

I'm not going to get into how they work or whether you should "believe" in them or not, that's up to you, but if you want to learn more about the oils themselves and discover some of the millions of ways to use them, stick with me.

My Little Stash of EOs on $5 from IKEA

Elf on the Shelf

2014-12-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

We had Fred Snow, our Elf on the Shelf, show up last year and he was a big hit! There are tons of ideas on the internet of ways for your elf to get into trouble, here's what Fred did!

(In no particular order).

The first day that Fred arrived,
he watched the movie that he came with.

Photo shoot with Cat Woman.

The fun part was seeing all of the photographs
that he took that were on the camera.

Sometimes Fred just hides.
Not everyday has to be crazy creative!

Fred playing a board game.

I guess Fred couldn't find the crayons. That's ok, Fred. Mommy couldn't find them either.
P.S. Fred is a magical elf which means he can make markers work while the cap is still on.

Fred wants us to help him build a house. He even picked out which one he likes best!

Fred LOVES to spell out messages in candy!

Shhh! Fred's had a long night.
(cucumbers and duck were printed off the internet)

I guess Fred likes seafood. Naughty little elf.

Personally, I think Fred has an unfair advantage.

No biggie. Fred just updating the countdown to Christmas.

Not a good idea, Fred! I hope it's "catch and release"!
(goldfish crackers)

Aww, Fred built a snowman....and now he's roasting it.

The army men are tired of Fred's antics!

Yin-yang bear doesn't feel too good.

Fred made Nathan a paracord bracelet with his picture
on it so he won't forget him until next year.

Getting ready for some Monday night football!
(check out Fred's jersey!)

"Snow" Angels!!
I guess the kitchen needed cleaning anyway...

Nathan was sleeping peacefully.

He woke up and saw Fred on the landing with a sign
pointing to the mirror.

Silly Fred!

Mom forgot to turn the heater up
so Fred crocheted himself a tiny scarf.

I think Fred has the upper hand here...

Elves LOVE peppermint!

Fred made us a toilet paper tree!
We left it up all month.

Fred sat in the tree on Christmas morning and watched everyone open presents.
The next day, he was gone!

School at Home is Not Homeschool (or so I've been told).

2014-08-15T16:06:00.001-07:00

Week one of school is finally over! We both really like the new curriculum.

We've now started our 5th year of school at home and looking back I can say that it's been very challenging.

There are so many times that I wanted to rip all of my hair out and then run from the house screaming! (I'm sure Nate has also had this feeling).

And then there are those times when he does something really amazing and I look at him with just a tiny bit of tears in my eyes and know that I taught him that. Not some stranger, me. I taught him to read and to love reading, I taught him how to count, and after many frustrations how to multiply, I taught him that AZ became a state on Valentine's Day in 1912.

Over these years I've also learned just as much as he has. Not only have I relearned so much History and Geography, Science, and Art that I'd forgotten but I've learned, (am learning), patience, that imperfection is not only ok but necessary and best left uncriticized (in fact, it should be praised), and that sometimes a soft voice and a short break are more important than anything that the lessons could teach.
People always say they don't know how/why I do it...
How can I not?

Morning Star Farms Veggie Burger Review

2013-01-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

*bzzagent is a word-of-mouth media channel that helps connect consumers with brands, companies and marketers to harness the power of honest opinions. In most cases, I have received a free product to try and give my honest opinion about. I received the products I'll be talking about from bzzagent.

Another fun campaign from bzzagent. First, let's talk about veggie burgers.
I. don't. like. them.
Haha! People say they taste like cardboard. I don't know if I would describe them that way but they definitely don't taste right.
So, I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't like veggie burgers. But...I decided to join the campaign anyway, and here's what I've learned.

I received a coupon from bzzagent for a free product from MorningStar Farms. There were quite a few different flavors to choose from at my local Fry's including a "Chik'n" and breakfast line. I picked the Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers. On sale for $3.49 for a box of 4.

(Looking back, I wish I would have included a ruler in the pic to show you how thin these are.) 110 calories and 4.5g of fat per patty is pretty good, but keep in mind that if you have a hearty appetite you're gonna need two of these babies. Even with two patties, the calories are low, but the fat is creeping up into a high zone, especially considering that you'll be eating other things (like a bun) with these burgers.

The recommended cooking instructions say to microwave, pan-fry, or bake. So I put them on the grill. lol Such a rebel!
I grilled them straight from frozen for a few minutes on each side at medium heat. I got some nice looking grill marks and also a bit of a crispness to the outside. You can see all of the texture in these burgers in this pic.

I was in a hurry to make dinner on this particular night so I just grilled some organic carrots and threw some brown rice in the rice cooker. I also made a simple tzatziki sauce for the burger since it had already had a Greek flair.

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe:Peel, seed, and chop 2 cucumbers and put in a food processor with 1-2 containers of plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 the juice from a lemon, 1 tbsp fresh dill, 3 cloves garlic. Blend until smooth-ish. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Now let's talk about taste. Personally, I noticed the texture more than the flavor of this burger. The texture was very interesting, it was almost like the inside of a processed chicken nugget but with a whole chickpea every once in a while. I make it sound bad but it was actually pretty good. I didn't think that the patty itself had a whole lot of flavor but I only had one on my bun and I told you earlier that these are thin. My husband had a double patty and he like the flavor a lot.
I think that if I were a vegetarian I would love these as an alternative to meat. They have a unique flavor and awesome texture. Personally, I doubt I'll buy them again, I'd rather have a good chicken or portobello burger.
But that's just me...

Burt's Bees Skin Care Line

2012-11-20T16:56:00.001-08:00

Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals (freezable)

2012-10-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

I just love knowing exactly what I'm going to make for dinner and exactly how long it's going to take during those hectic week nights.
Don't get me wrong, I love to cook from scratch, but I have a husband and 3 boys to feed and with all of the other things going on during the week I just don't always have time to slave over a hot stove.

But I still want to make healthy meals...

This ongoing dilemma is what inspired my post.

Have you ever heard of those boxed meals that come with "everything" you need to make dinner? I purchased one made by Banquet:

The package says that it serves 4. . . 4 what? It definitely didn't serve 4 of my family members! I also noticed that everything looked very processed and preserved, I mean even more so than most packaged food. It actually tasted pretty good but I knew I could do better.

My version of one-dish week night meals:

You'll need a few key ingredients to make several different versions of these casseroles. I literally made one of these meals every day for a week and no one got tired of it.

Let's start with one basic recipe:

What you'll need

1 big can Cream of Mushroom (or Cream of Chicken)
1/3 cup milk
1 - 1 1/2 cup frozen chicken
Powdered biscuit mix like Bisquik or Jiffy
1 - 1 1/2 cup frozen veggies
2/3 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Dump the creamed soup into an 8x8 pan and mix in the milk. (I use disposable pans for easy clean up.)Mix in the chicken, then the veggies.
Mix in the shredded cheese and smooth it out.
Stop here and wrap tightly with foil if you want to freeze it, then you can put it in the fridge the night before cooking to let it thaw and proceed to the next step.Mix your biscuit mix according to directions for drop biscuits. It's ok if it's a little lumpy.Spoon the biscuits evenly on top of your mixture.Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until biscuits are browned and cooked through. You can sprinkle shredded cheese on top during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Another version of this one-dish meal is to start by adding a layer of mashed potatoes to the pan, mix chopped, cooked ham and veggies with country gravy and layer on top of potatoes, then add your biscuits on top.

My twist on chicken fettuccine alfredoAdd cooked noodles of your choice to one jar of alfredo sauce in your pan. Mix in one can of very well-drained tomatoes, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1-1 1/2 cups cooked chicken. Add some dried basil or other Italian seasoning if you'd like.

Add refrigerated breadsticks to the top.

Or try this one:
Cooked noodles, cheese sauce (or cr. of chicken), crumbled sausage, veggies, shredded cheese, refrigerated biscuits on top.

The possibilities are endless!

Variations:
Use canned crescent rolls or biscuits.
Use shredded chicken, beef, cooked ground beef, sausage, bacon etc for your meat. Just make sure it's always cooked meat.
Use cream of chicken, cream of potato, cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli etc. or a combination.
You can also use several other types of sauces or gravies including spaghetti or alfredo sauce.
Any frozen or canned vegetables can be used including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc. or a mix.
Add cooked noodles or rice to the mix.

You can make a bunch of these dishes in advance, (minus the bread), and freeze them for a whole month of ready-to-make meals.

More to come.

What are your favorite combinations?

Miss Aprril's Secret List of Freebies!

2012-09-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I LOVE free stuff! When I open my mailbox and a pile of little packages come tumbling out, my heart skips a beat! I've been compiling a list of my very favorite "free stuff" sites and here are just a few:

(Click the blue text for the link)

BzzAgent
I've been an active member of BzzAgent since 2008! This site allows you to join "campaigns" where they will send you free, full-sized products to try in exchange for your opinion and feedback. They also want you to spread your opinion about the product,(whether good or bad), and report back. You earn a score based on how active you are. This is by far my favorite site for free stuff. Bzzagent goes above and beyond when sending out "bzzkits". If you check out my "product reviews" link. You can see just a couple of the bzzkits that I've received.
Bzzagent is also connected to MyPoints which is a site that gives you points for online purchases and things. Bzzagent gives you points whenever you complete certain tasks. It may take some time, but these points eventually add up to gift cards and things like that.

Target Samples
Target doesn't have a ton of samples but one reason that this site made my list is their Summer Beauty Bag.
Right around Summertime Target offers a version of this little goodie bag:

Don't get me wrong, they offer samples all year long, just keep checking back.

Walmart Samples
Same deal as Target, check often for new samples.

All You Samples
They post a sample a day, every day. You can click the calendar to go back through the ones you missed. Sign up for their email list to get it sent directly to your inbox.

House Party
I just found this site recently. You sign up to host a party pertaining to a certain product line and they'll send you a big ol' party pack with a bunch of free stuff to host your party. Definitely not for everyone, but if you like to have get-togethers check it out.

Centsless Deals
Awesome site that tells you about the latest freebies as well as smokin' deals on the web and in the grocery stores. You can sign up for their email list too.

Free Kindle Books
Offers free kindle books from up and coming authors. Some good stuff here, and super-easy to use.

e-rewards
Yes, this is a survey website. No, this is not a referral link. Haha. Seriously though, I normally can't stand survey sites but this one has been pretty great! They've sent me products to sample and take surveys on and I've already earned almost $90 (in e-rewards, which can be used for gift cards). The surveys are simple and pay well.

Cravebox
Last but not least, Cravebox. Ok, in all fairness, this is not a freebies site. It's a subscription site that gives you 5-6 products a month for a flat $10. There are two reasons I'm adding this to my list:
1. Their Limited Edition Boxes are an amazing deal for $10. When you sign up you can choose which limited-edition boxes you are interested in and they will notify you when the box is available. You can then choose if you want to be in the drawing. The boxes that I have received so far are, to me, valued much higher than what you spend. In fact, sometimes I wonder how they can be making money at all since the 10 bucks includes shipping. The boxes are themes like Spring Cleaning, Summer Beauty, Dog Lover's, Coffee Lover's, New Mom's, etc.
2. The 2nd reason I love this site is their AMAZING customer service! When their Back to School box shipped late, they sent out an apology email and gave everyone a refund. We still got the box! When they sent me chocolate (to AZ, in the summer) I sent an email telling them they were melted and they responded the same day and gave me free stuff! I can't say enough about the CS at this company.

So there you have it. This list is by no means all-inclusive but it should give you a good start if you want to get free things in the mail nearly everyday.
What are your favorite freebie sites?

Unreal Candy Review

2012-09-10T18:07:00.002-07:00

*bzzagent is a word-of-mouth media channel that helps connect consumers with brands, companies and marketers to harness the power of honest opinions. In most cases, I have received a free product to try and give my honest opinion about.

I can honestly say that I'd never even heard about "Unreal Candy" until Bzzagent offered to let me try it. I did some research about the products and it's actually a pretty cool concept.
The basic idea is that "the worst parts of candy (like hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives) aren’t there to make it taste good. They’re there to make it cheaper to produce."
The company decided to take all of that extra stuff out of candy to make it healthier for us and possibly make it taste better. They use things like cacao, real caramel (not corn syrup dyed to look like caramel), more peanuts, protein, and fiber.
There are, by no means, meant to be a "diet" food. They're just a healthier version of well-known candy products.

Now on to the review:

My local Walgreen's had 5 different varieties of this candy, but I actually had to ask an employee where they were because they had their own display rack and weren't with the other candy. They were 89 cents each which isn't too bad even though they're a little smaller than the brand they copy.
Anyway, the five different flavors were a version of; peanut m&m's, regular m&m's, peanut butter cups, Snickers, and Milky Way.
I set out a mini candy buffet after dinner and we dug in. The first thing that I noticed, (probably the 1st thing you noticed), is that the m&m's are funky colors. They're very muted and dull which didn't bother me too much because I knew that the company used natural things to color their candy.

You shouldn't be under the impression that these taste just like the popular brand. They don't. They resemble them closely but there are definitely distinct differences.
One main difference is the taste of the chocolate. It's not as sweet and has a bit of an aftertaste, although, not a bad aftertaste.

The peanut flavored filling was pretty flaky, or crumbly. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, just different.

I'm not big on candy bars so I probably wouldn't buy these for myself, (unless they come out with a Twix version), but the kids and hubster really liked all of them and I would feel a lot better buying the Unreal version than the regular candy bars.
I think that people are so accustomed to the way that candy tastes now, their initial reaction might be to dislike Unreal. You would need to try it a few times to decided if you like it or not. Think of all the benefits of switching.

"Unjunk Your Candy"

Paint Chip Art

2012-08-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos for larger image)I've actually been done with this project for some time now but I was putting off the blog because I wanted to make a frame for it. After trying (and failing) to make a frame due to lack of tools (and skill), I decided to hang it on the wall "as-is" and I have to say it turned out pretty cool.
Pret-ty cool...

Here's what you'll need:

Paint chips
These are little paper color samples that you can find at the home improvement stores or anywhere that sells paint. I choose these ones by Martha Stewart because 1. they didn't have any writing on them so I wouldn't have to cut them. 2. They had a bunch of different textures and sheen and all of the colors in the display went together perfectly.

Spray Adhesive
I used 3m but you could use pretty much any kind of glue, even stick glue, I guess. The main purpose is to make sure that the glue won't get your papers too wet or they will peel apart. I know this from experience! You also want to make sure that the glue won't leave lumps under the papers after they dry. So yeah, glue.

A Piece of Pressed Board
We got this at Home Depot for around $7. It's 1/4 in. I think. The best part is that they will cut the board to whatever size you need. Plan out your papers in advance and decide how big you want your board to be.

Wood Stain or Wood Finish
Darker is better in my opinion. I used Minwax Wood Finish in dark walnut.

Clear Coat
I used Polycrylic water based clear semi-gloss. They also have high gloss and matte. Experiment with what you like. :)

Modge Podge
I used matte

Start by separating your chips by color and lay them out to the side to find a pattern that looks good.

Glue the papers onto the board. Start in one corner and go across. Try to line them up if you can but don't get too concerned if there's a small gap here or there. You can see in the pic below that I had some gaps.

When I got to the end of each row, I noticed that my papers hung off of the edge by about 1/4 cm. If this happens, shave them off with a razor blade after the glue is completely dry. Try not to glue them around the corner, just let them hang off.

Here I applied a thin layer of modge podge to protect the paper from absorbing too much stain.

Once dry, apply the stain liberally to the entire front, let sit for a few minutes and wipe off. Don't rub too hard and don't rub it out of the cracks between your papers. If you plan on hanging without a frame, apply the stain to the sides of the board as well.

Apply a 2nd coat to really get in those cracks.

We want some of the stain to stay on the papers to help unify the colors.

Lastly, you'll want to apply several layers of clear coat, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next. Continue your layers until you can no longer feel the gaps or the edges of the papers. You want to make it as smooth as possible.
You can sand in between layers if you want to but it's not necessary.

Attach a hanging kit to the back and you're good to go. Experiment in different sizes, now that I know I can do it I'm going to make one that's about 2ft tall by 5 ft long to go over my bed.

If you decide to try it, send me a pic and I'll post it.
Good Luck!

Baby Photo Props

2012-08-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: You can now check out my etsy shop here

Here are a few things that I've been working on lately. I was thinking about selling these on Etsy. What do you think? (If you want to purchase one in the meantime, you can email me at aprril@hotmail.com)
Also working on a matching Minnie. How cute for twins!
A blue version of the sock monkey I made a few months back. I was also working on a pink one but I set it aside for now.
A recent request. I can't wait to see how it looks!

Now if only I had some baby models... :)

Caprese on a Stick

2012-08-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Want a show-stopping appetizer for your next party?
Caprese pops are simple to make and a big hit!
Here's what you'll need:

Round Sourdough Loaf
1 Container of Mozzarella Balls
1 Container of Cherry or Plum Tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar or to taste
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Olive Tapenade (optional)
1 tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
Colored Toothpicks

Mix mozzarella, olive oil, vinegar, basil, and lemon zest together and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
In the meantime, cut the tops off of the tomatoes and take out pulp and seeds. I used a small spoon to do this.
Add a dab of tapenade to the bottom of the inside of each tomato. Stick a toothpick up through the bottom of the tomato and put a marinated cheese ball into the tomato.
Stick the toothpicked tomatoes into the bread starting toward the bottom. Make sure you leave part of the toothpick sticking out so that the guests have something to grab.
This dish is pretty and delicious!

Lowfat Pumpkin Smoothie

2012-08-10T10:55:00.001-07:00

With Fall right around the corner, I've noticed pumpkin recipes popping up all over Pinterest. Pumpkin donuts, pumpkin popper, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, (oddly enough, not one for pumpkin pie). I decided to join in the frenzy since Fall foods are some of my very favorite! I love the smell and the warmth of Fall cooking, it makes me feel so cozy.
Since I'm in AZ where it's still over 100 degrees in the day time, I decided on a pumpkin smoothie. And since I'm still trying to watch what I eat, I decided to make it as low-fat/calorie as I could without sacrificing flavor.
This turned out delicious and is perfect for breakfast, especially if you're like me and not a "big meal for breakfast" type person.

Ingredients:
1 frozen banana (or just a banana)
1 single serve container non-fat vanilla yogurt (mine was 6oz)
1/2 cup to 1 cup pure canned pumpkin (I used half the 15oz can)
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1-2 Tbsp honey
small handful of ice

Add everything to the blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
This was surprisingly filling and I gave half to my little guy. You could get creative and add things like oatmeal or bran and play around with the recipe. Unfortunately, I'm not very creative (or motivated) in the morning so I stuck to the basics. Enjoy!