Momma Made Beauty Stuffs

I LOVE essential oils. Like Love Love.

I use them for everything from colds to crack skin, to acne to and now toothpaste, bug spray and deodorant!

In my ongoing quest to live a healthy, natural lifestyle, I have been experimenting with various recipes for homemade beauty products using an array of essential oils. So far they have been met with great success. Below are the ones that I currently used and been very happy with. I am working on a few more to come!

Deodorant

Ingredients 8 tbsp Coconut Oil ¼ cup Baking Soda ½ cup Cornstarch 30 drops of Frankincense oil*

Instructions Combine baking soda and cornstarch Add EO to Coconut oil and mix well Slowly add oil mix to dry mix, working with a spoon until a pliable, spreadable texture is reached, something like thick buttercream icing. If you find it is too runny, add more cornstarch, if you find it is to firm, add more coconut oil Store your mixture in a glass jar with tight lid and apply with fingers for each use. Makes about 1 cup and should last about 3 months.

*Feel free to use any EO of your choice; Lavender, Tea Tree, Lemon/Orange, are all good choices for fresh scent and antibacterial properties

Note: If the temperature where you are storing your jar reaches 24+degrees (Celsius) you may notice that the mix thins out. You can still apply it as it or pop it into the fridge to firm it up again prior to use.

Toothpaste

Ingredients 2 tbsp coconut oil ¼ tsp hydrogen peroxide 6 tbsp cup Baking Soda 10 drops of Peppermint oil*	Instructions Add EO to Coconut oil and mix well Slowly add oil mix to baking soda, working with a spoon until a paste is formed If you find it is too runny, add more backing soda, if you find it is to firm, add more coconut oil Store your mixture in a glass jar with tight lid and scoop up small amounts for each use with toothbrush or spoon.
*Feel free to use any EO of your choice; Clove, Cinnamon, Lemon, Orange will all make nice tasting toothpastes	Note: Store mixture in small glass, opaque container as light will damage hydrogen peroxide)

Bug Repellant

I use both an oil based rub and a water based spray. The rub is great for when you have small sections of exposed skin to protect, whereas the spray is good for overall coverage.

Ingredients Rub 2 tbsp coconut oil 20 drops YL Purification*	Instructions Combine oils and mix well Store in a glass gar with tight fitting lid Apply to skin as needed, rubbing in well
Spray 3.5 oz witch hazel 3.5 oz distilled water 20 drop Lavender* 20 drops Citronella 10 Lemongrass	Combine witch hazel and essential oils in a 8 oz spray bottle, swirling to combine Add in water and again swirl to combine Spray all over skin and clothes as needed
* Feel free to also use any of the following Eos: Rosemary, Clove, Geranium, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Mint, Basil and Thyme.

Spartan Sprint 2013 Review

Yesterday I completed my first ever Spartan Sprint (3+ miles of obstacle racing).  I am so proud of this accomplishment and amazed at what my body and mind combined to do.

Over 5km, my teammates and I scrambled up and over walls ranging from 4-10 feet + 20 foot rope ladder up and over walls, carried sand bags, ammo boxes and water jugs up and down hills, hoisted a cement block off the ground using a pulley system, tossed a javelin, heaved ourselves up a wet wall and back down a rope, crawled through the dirt in tunnels and under camo nets, waded through mud while dodging barbed wire and leap over flames.

No big deal.

Nope - MASSIVE DEAL.

It was the hardest thing (outside of labour - lol) I have ever done. And it proved to me a few things:

1) My body is capable of things I never thought possible,
2) While I still have a lof of weight to shed, am far stronger than I realized,
3) I have to really work on my cardio/running endurance,
4) My mind/head is the only thing that can stop me from doing something
5) With amazing people at my side, I can take on any challenge

With such a eye opening event behind me, I am now even more committed to becoming fit and fab, not only for the outside, but for the inside as well.

Baby Eats: Coconut Oil Banana Almond Butter

I am starting to have to sneak stuff into the boy. He has gone from ridiculous fantastic eater, to classicly picky kid. We have alway done the "hide it" in pancakes and muffins routine, but I recently branched out and ventured into the world of spreads and dove into coconut oil.

While I use coconut oil on his face and butt regularly, he had yet to have any in his diet and since the little dude could stand to grow a bit more, I thought it may be a good addition to his healthy fat intake.

Anywhoo, since he is basically part monkey and can't even look at a banana without losing his mind, I opted to use his fave fruit as part of this experiment. I was not wrong in assuming that he would enjoy it. Kiddo almost screams when he sees the jar of this coming his way now.

SUCCESS! Now get growing baby boy!

Coconut Oil Banana Almond Butter

• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium banana
• 4 tbsp almond butter

1. Blend everything together and enjoy! Will do best in an airtight container in the fridge to keep the oil firm

Garlicky Herbed Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Hallelujah!

Finally after ages of searching and many a kitchen disaster, I have managed to come up with a tasty and EASY vegan alfredo sauce. How do I know its tasty, well the hubby and kiddo both dive in when I make so that speaks volumes in my book.

I chose to use coconut milk for its thick, rich body and flavour, but I am sure that this would work just as well with any other milk alternative.

And to make it super yum, I like to add in a variety of garlic sauteed veggies to my pastas; this week it was asparagus, kale and grape tomatoes.

Garlicky Herbed Vegan Alfredo Sauce

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water

1. In a medium saucepan, cook garlic in oil until golden brown
2. Add flour slowly, whisking to remove any lumps while combining oil, garlic and flour
3. Cook over low heat for a few minutes, whisking continuously (do not burn!)
4. Add in entire tin of coconut milk, rosemary, oregano and salt & pepper, whisking to combine
5. Bring to a boil adding a tsp of water at a time (if needed) to reach desired consistency - sauce should be thick and cover noodles well.
6. Keep warm over low heat (and keep whisking to ensure no lumps!) until pasta is ready or transfer into resealable container and keep in fridge for future use.

A year ago my life changed forever.

It has been the craziest year to-date and I wouldn't change a single thing

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