TWO Ingredient Fixes

Many of you read my recipes and say that there are too many ingredients. Too many things that you might not just have on hand. Well if you’re one of those people, this post is for you. Today I want to share with you some great things you can make with only TWO ingredients. I’ll give you options if you want to add other ingredients. But these products are all great when just made with the initial two items. Now, water is a freebie, so don’t complain and think I’m adding an ingredient if you see water listed. Water doesn’t count lol! There are literally hundreds of things you can make with just two ingredients. I’m starting with a few of my favorites!

Body Powder: Make your own powder (think for babies, rashes, sweating, itchy skin, etc.).

You’ll need: Raw/dry oats and either cornstarch or pure zinc ozide powder.

To do: Put dried oats into a blender or food processor. Pulverize these until they form a light flour. You’ve just made oat flour! Mix ¾ cup oat flour with 1/8 cup of pure zinc oxide powder. This makes a great powder to use for diaper rash. Leave out the zinc and substitute cornstarch for another version of body powder. This is skin soothing and protecting. Never buy baby powder full of chemicals again!

Want to add? You can add 10 drops of lavender, or 5 lavender and 5 chamomile essential oil to this powder. Add slowly and mix well. Don’t overdo the essential oils or your powder will be wet. These oils are great for soothing irritated skin.

Itchy Skin Bath Soak: Make your own bath salts to help with dry, irritated, itchy skin.

You’ll need: Epsom salts and raw/dry oats.

To do: Make oat flour as shown in the recipe above. Mix 1 cup of Epsom Salt with ½ cup of oat flour. That’s it! Sprinkle about ½ - ¾ cup of this into warm running water. Let dissolve in bath, and soak for 20-40 minutes.

Want to add? You can add essential oils to this mixture to really amp up your soak! For example, adding 5 drops eucalyptus and 10 drops peppermint essential oil is great for soothing aching muscles. Add 5 drops rosemary and 5 drops lavender to that and it’s great for those with colds or flu symptoms. Want to go a step further with this? Try adding 4 cup of dried milk flakes to this mixture. It amps up the skin soothing and leaves skin soft.

Skin balm: Make your own all natural skin balm. Throw out lotions and Vaseline!

You’ll need: Coconut oil and beeswax.

To do: Melt together 4 ounces of coconut oil and 1 tsp of beeswax pellets. Pour into a glass jar that can be well sealed (or a small metal container). Set in fridge and allow this to set up. Then you can use it as a skin balm and protectant, on lips, on rashes and cuts, and even on your hair. Carry it with you everywhere you go.

Want to add? Think about adding essential oils to this balm. You could add 10 drops of lavender for a real soothing and relaxing fragrance. Most essential oils work great in this recipe. But keep it at 10 drops or less for four ounces of balm. Adding frankincense and/or patchouli makes for a great nightly facial moisturizer. Note: change the ratio to ½ coconut oil and ½ beeswax. Use this as a harder, longer lasting lip balm.

Eyeliner: You can make eyeliner at home quick and easy!

You’ll need: Pure witch hazel or pure aloe gel and some activated charcoal tablets.

To do: Open one tablet of activated charcoal. Pour it gently into a very small container (size of a contact case). Add witch hazel OR aloe gel one drop at a time and gently mix. Continue until it reaches a very firm but thick mixture. That’s it! Now you just need a small eyeliner brush and you’re ready to make up those eyes. This washes away well but doesn’t rub off during daily activities.

Want to add? You can add ONE drop of lavender oil to this recipe. I would not recommend adding any more than that or other oils since this will be used around the eyes. ALWAYS do a skin test before using products around the eye area.

Charcoal tooth paste/polish: You can make this at home very easily and start whitening teeth.

You’ll need: Activated charcoal, baking soda and water.

To do: In a small bowl mix together on tablespoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon charcoal. Add drops of water slowly until it reaches a paste-like consistency. Make sure it is well mixed. Keep this in a tightly sealed container. Dip clean toothbrush into it and brush as normal. OR spread on teeth with a Q-Tip and allow to soak for a few minutes before rinsing. Rinse mouth well after each use.

Want to add? I would highly suggest adding a few (2-3) drops of peppermint, spearmint, lemon or cinnamon essential oil to this. This will taste very much like a baking soda toothpaste. Baking soda has a salty flavor. Adding the oil will give it a better taste.

DOUBLE DUTY – This serves double duty as a spot treatment for acne! If you see a new bump pop up on your face, rub in a dab of this! Rub well and let it remain all night.

Facial exfoliater: This will help scrub away dead skin cells, cleanse pores, and remove makeup.

You’ll need: Baking soda and Activate charcoal

To do: Mix together ½ cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of activated charcoal. Add a little water to make a thick paste (not too much). Mix well and put into a plastic, sealed container. Keep in fridge. Wipe face with warm water to remove makeup and dirt build up. Wet face. Use a small amount of this scrub to cover face and scrub with hands in circular motion. Do not get in eye area. After scrubbing, rinse face with warm water.

Want to add? You can add 6 drops of tea tree oil to this scrub if you have acne issues. If your skin is really dry, try adding a little honey, vitamin E oil, or olive oil to this mixture. If you have a facial soap that works well for you, try adding that instead of the water to make this scrub.

Do YOU need a quick fix that only contains two ingredients? Let me know and I'll see if I can come up with a two ingredient fix for you!

~Gypsy Mama

Memories are better than pictures

Parents, I have seen a lot of posts lately about your kids. I admit, it strikes me often as over-sharing. Recently I had a small disagreement with a popular blogger who thought it was okay - even funny - to post her toddler on the toilet. Now wait. I bet our parents all have pictures of us going to the loo right? Maybe. But this was different. This child was on the toilet - screaming and crying in pain! What did her mother do? She snapped a photo to further embarrass the child. After that? Well next she shared this picture of her daughter in pain with the world in a public social media posting. It's been viewed by thousands of people. I commented, as it was public, that I thought she had went a step too far since her child was obviously in pain. But hey, I guess I missed the entertainment aspect of a child in pain! The blogger then directed an entire blog post towards me and how I made her feel bad for 5 minutes. Five minutes? How long did her child sit there on that toilet crying while she snapped pictures?!

Also recently I saw a video shared by a father who was telling his young son that his mother had just died....of a drug overdose. This father had an opportunity to be a great parent here folks. This should have been a private moment between father and son. But no. He had someone filming it. The child was upset. I cannot even find words for how upset that child was. Of course he was upset. He was in pain. His mother is dead. Dead! But instead of privately telling his son, and consoling him, and helping him through this pain; Daddy filmed it and posted it out to the world on social media. This was, he says, to bring awareness to the drug problem we have. Well I have a hint for him - we are all aware. There are other ways besides using your child's most painful and raw moment! Do you think this child wants his true moment of sadness, grief, and pain watched by the world? No, he needed his Daddy to be a Daddy. It was not the time to raise awareness for the public. This is not the way.

At another time I saw a video of a small child who got hit hard, right in the face, by a snowball. I know, I know. How hurt could she be, right? Well the child looked barely two years old. The snowball hit her face and she immediately screamed, grabbed her face and cried. This baby sobbed and screamed in pain. The mother? Oh she was there, filming the entire event. She did not drop her camera and run to console her child; to make sure she was alright. Nope. She just kept the video rolling. Afterwards she shared it on YouTube for the world to see. 

There are many more examples I could share. But I think you've all seen them. I'm even starting to feel badly for all those "my child is crying because..." posts. Sure they're funny.  Your child is crying because she can't find her socks when she is clearly wearing her socks. I get it. I've fallen into the "over sharing" category myself a few times. But as a parent, I have come to realize that not everything needs to be shared with the whole world. When our children are having issues, perhaps the thing to do is help them, rather than take photos?

Our children are the most important thing. We should treat them with love and respect. We should sympathize when they are in pain. Does it matter if we think that pain is imagined? No. No it does not. If they say they're in pain, we need to console them. They're our children! Too many people out there are using their own children, and their pain, their compromising positions even, for entertainment and awareness. We need to all start thinking about this as we go through life. Sure our children do funny stuff, even brilliant stuff. We want to share it! But there are some moments in life where things should be kept private, quiet, calm. There are times when we need to TAKE the opportunity placed before us to show our kids we love them. Drop your cameras sometimes parents. Pick up your child. Kiss and hug her when she is in pain. Take that opportunity! She will remember how much you loved her in that moment. Those memories will last a lifetime in your heart and in hers. The pictures - sure they might last as well. But your children may not be happy to see them later and to learn that thousands have seen them as well. 

Be Blessed,

GypsyMama

An Open Letter to my Daughter's Future Teacher

Dear Teacher,

     I want to apologize in advance for the sassy, back-talking, spoiled little hellion that is my child. I want to thank you for being brave enough to take on such a demanding task. I love my daughter very much. She is beautiful, smart and funny. But let's be honest, that girl is shady as hell and she cannot be trusted. She can go from smiling cherub to screaming banshee in the time it takes you to say "no". She can go from responsible and independent to stuck up your ass in three seconds flat. She can be that child who hangs on you until you feel the need to go hide in the restroom for a half hour. I sincerely  hope you are fully stocked up on anti-anxiety medication before school starts. I fear you're going to need it.

     Teacher, my little girl is not a joiner, so you've got your work cut out for you there in the classroom. In fact, I've failed at getting her to join anything. I came close with soccer last season until she found out they wore green and blue shirts. She refused to play unless her team could wear pink, sparkly shirts and socks with gold glitter thread! How I will get this child to attend school appropriately dressed is beyond me and sadly you will be stuck with her clothing choices. She likes to wear princess dresses and bat-girl capes. She likes to wear heels and thinks lipstick is a daily necessity. I have tried to explain that heels are not good for playing at school. Please don't judge me too harshly if she comes to school in them. She will have an extra set of clothes in her bag.

    I should probably tell you that my girl likes to have snacks and drinks on demand. In fact, she likes to have everything on demand! She is spoiled to the point of no return. Sadly, I realize that this is all my fault and I hope you won't judge me too harshly on that either. I plead insanity on that one! I also apologize to you and the other students for each story, song, rhyme or word that my daughter shares which might be inappropriate for her age group. I am not sure why she seems to be obsessed with talking about poop right now. But you've been warned. I've been told she has a vast vocabulary but sometimes she simply has the mouth of a sailor. Oh, have I mentioned that school is right during her normal nap time? Yes, well good luck with that! In fact, have you seen the movie Gremlins? Remember what happens when those critters get wet? That's a pretty accurate description of my little angel when she doesn't have a nap. I suggest getting a catchers mitt and face-mask to keep in the classroom!

     Teacher, my little angel doesn't like to eat most foods. In fact, there is nothing on the school lunch menu that she will eat. I assure you that when she sees those trays of food she will be making faux vomit noises for the next few hours. I apologize about that as well. I will do my best to send her lunch items that she deems worthy of eating. But I will not blame you if she comes home hungry as I know the struggle is real. Please don't judge me if you see her lunch box packed with Slim Jim's and Cheetos. Believe me, it is simply not worth the fight.

   

 When she was younger I worried about her starting school. What if the other kids were mean to her? Would they hit or bite or yell at her? Now that the time is here, my worries have changed. I sincerely hope that she isn't a bully. I hope she does not cuss or hit or bite. But again, she's a shady little thug at times so nothing would surprise me. By the way, she has informed me that she doesn't really think school is going to be her "thing". She says that she already knows everything necessary and that she is never going to college anyhow. I'm hoping the activities are enough to keep her busy and interested. But I'll understand if you tell me that she spent the entire class time singing Taylor Swift songs in the corner. You might go ahead and move a chair to the corner in advance. By the way, she says that she is "hella good" at singing!

     Teacher, you are a brave and loving person - of that I am sure. I know you've probably seen it all during your years teaching little ones. Let me assure you that I love kids and I love my daughter more than anything. But I also know that she is a handful. I do not know how much money you make a day. But if it's anything less than say around $1,000 per day, you're not getting paid enough to keep up with this one! I'm her mother and there are days when I hide out in the restroom. But she is my own precious little angel and I'll cry when I hand her over to you on that first day. Know that most of those tears will be because I'm not ready to let her go....and a few of them will be for you.

Good Luck (you will need it),

Kendall's Mommy

Yes, I'm THAT Mom with THAT House

My friends and family know that my house is kept much differently than theirs. You see, I am that Mom, and this is that house. At my house, it is pretty much anything goes. Don't visit if you don't like pets. We have a house full and often foster more. We have plenty of dogs, a cat, fish, and even a pet dragon! Dog hair is everywhere. (Don't wear black. It's kind of an unwritten rule.) Pets may come and go, but the pet hair is a constant!

My house is always messy; always disorganized. We do arts and crafts projects on the living room and kitchen tables. My floors are rarely clean. We sweep. We mop. But oh we mess! At any given time you are likely to find these things on our floors: glitter, glue, paint, play doh, flubber/slime, dog pee (yeah it happens), stickers, nail polish, beads, jewels, flower petals, etc. This is normal in our home. We don't mind. We love glitter. I joke that my daughter grows glitter in her scalp. No matter how much her hair gets washed, her scalp always glitters! Go figure!

We make jewelry. We make artwork. We have made our own play dough, flubber, glitter glue, bird houses, bird feeders, and kitty condos. We make all sorts of things that others would never even think about making. We even make our own laundry detergent. Oh you might also find the floor a bit gritty with salt and sugar as we often make bath salts and sugar scrubs in the kitchen. That does tend to get a bit messy:) When my daughter can't think of a good project, she has a go-to project that she loves. She likes to get empty jars and paint them. Sometimes she fills them with water and glitter and beads and calls them snow globes!

The thing is, I had my daughter at an older age. I was well into my 43rd year when she was born. She is my miracle, my lifetime achievement! She is terribly spoiled with things.  We have a house full of toys that rarely get played with. But we definitely use our arts and crafts supplies. We are always doing some sort of project. We save all sorts of things that could be used in crafts! What you throw away we will try to find a way to make useful. Really, doesn't paint and glitter make everything nicer?

Other kids know that when they visit our house, there will be some sort of project offered. Sometimes the kids just come up with their own projects. Sometimes I have things ready for them when they arrive. My own daughter spends most of her home time sitting at that little table in the living room with her crafts. She is four. She loves it! When other kids come over I often throw a big old shirt on them, point them to the crafts area and let them have at it. They all love it. Kids are able to do things in my house that their own parents might not allow due to the mess factor. Not much is off limits in our house...even that 10,000 bead set that promises to be headache inducing for all parents!

I realize that most other Moms spend a lot of time cleaning their houses. Many of you would cringe at walking into our disorganized, glittery, gritty mess of a home. But as I mentioned, I'm an older Mom. I don't have time to clean the house when I could be creating some art with my baby girl! After working all day, the last thing I want to do is spend a few hours cleaning the house. Especially when I could spend that time making play doh critters or painting a cardboard box to look like a rocket ship! When my daughter grows up I don't think she will look back and say "our house was always so messy". No, I really think she will have such great memories of all the things we did, the things we made, in that house. I don't want her to ever think that I would rather clean than spend time with her. When we do clean up, I try to make it fun for her as well. She likes cleaning with me when we can talk and sing and make it into a game. We do have to clean up our art supplies quite often or they would take over the house! We do have to sweep away a layer of glitter and sugar every few days. But by and large, we don't worry too much over this house or how it looks.

We have fun. We have love. We are making memories here! What's a little mess?

Honey Citrus Ginger Cough and Cold Syrup

I've been meaning to make this for some time now. I finally got around to it this weekend.

This syrup can be used for cough and cold symptoms. It can be taken a tablespoon at a time right out of the fridge. You can also mix a tablespoon into hot tea or hot water and drink it. This syrup actually tastes pretty good. Here is how to make it:

Slice citrus fruits into half moon shapes, thin. I used orange and lemon.
Add some to the bottom of a pint sized mason jar (or similar container).
Add in 2 tsp of dried ginger powder.
Pour honey into jar to fill and ensure you cover the fruit.

Once you have added your honey to the jar stir it all up very well. It may help to use a skewer or butter knife to get through the fruit. You are trying to make sure you get the ginger powder stirred well into the honey.

For mine I also added 8 drops of Thieves essential oil blend. If you do not have this, it's okay. I believe that it works, but many make it without this oil. I also add in 8 drops of lemon essential oil. You could substitute with just a small squirt of real lemon juice.

Once it seems well blended, seal tightly. Turn jar upside down and let sit for an hour in fridge that way. Then turn it right side up and store in the fridge. This cough syrup should always be kept in the fridge. Honey may crystallize. If this happens, just heat the honey, stir well and store. As you use the syrup, you can add more honey to the jar. Keep in fridge for 3-4 months, then make more. This syrup may get thinner as it sits. The honey will pull the juice and all the "good stuff" out of the fruit. It's okay if it's thinner in a week!

I'm sure you already know, but I'll say it anyway. If you can use a good local honey, that is best. Since this recipe is not heated, the honey will keep all it's special "powers" and so it pays to use the local honey if you can find it.

~Kymber

Homemade Sugar Scrubs

So this weekend I spent a LOT of time making sugar scrubs and bath salts. I've been asked for the recipe for Sugar Scrubs, and will post that here. These are SO easy to make at home with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. I made a few different types this weekend, but you can make thousands of different combinations.

The basic recipe for these Sugar Scrubs is as follows:

1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Oil (olive, liquid coconut, jojoba, almond, grapeseed, etc.)
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of liquid soap (Castile Soap) - totally optional
5 drops essential oil
Coloring - optional

You will want to add your sugar to a bowl, then add in the coconut or olive oil and mix well. Next add the honey and soap (if you're using it). Mix well again. Next add in the coloring and mix well. Lastly add in drops of essential oil and mix again. You may also want to add a teaspoon of something extra like mint flakes, dried rosemary, dried orange peel, dried lavender, etc.

Here are the ones I made this weekend:

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Scrub:
Basic Sugar Scrub recipe as shown above. Add in 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I also added in 3 drops of cinnamon and 3 drops of clove essential oils. Please be careful here - cinnamon oil is a strong one and you only need a little. If you don't want to use this, the recipe works just fine without it. I used no coloring in this sugar scrub. It smells delicious! And when you use it in the shower or bath, the hot water causes the smell to really get stronger. My bathroom smelled like a cinnamon roll factory! It was divine.

Mojito Sugar Scrub:
Basic Sugar Scrub recipe as shown above. Add in 5 -10 drops of lime essential oil (start with 5) and 3 drops of peppermint essential oil, mix well. I used a lime green coloring in mine. I also added in some mint flakes. After mixing, if you need a few more drops of lime add those and mix again. The peppermint overpowers the lime so do not use too much of that.

Coffee Sugar Scrub:
This one goes away from the above basic recipe. Instead use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 coffee. I used dry coffee or you can use Instant Coffee if you're concerned about the coffee going down your water drain. Everything else in the basic recipe is the same. I added in 5 drops of cinnamon essential oil, and a teaspoon of vanilla. No coloring is needed. This one needs to be stored in the fridge and used rather quickly. Make small batches as wet coffee will mold if left out.

Orange Ginger Sugar Scrub:
Basic Sugar Scrub recipe as shown above. Add in 5 drops Sweet Orange and 3 drops Ginger essential oils. I use an orange coloring for this one. I also added in 2 teaspoons of dried orange peels (finely chopped).

Note that you can use plain white sugar, raw sugar and even brown sugar. Mix and match as you like. Remember that brown sugar has a smell all of its own so you may not want to use that in some blends as it will overpower the essential oils. It might be great in the coffee scrub or the cinnamon roll scrub!

To use these sugar scrubs, just scoop a little into your hand and rub over skin while in shower or bath. Rinse well. A little goes a long way. These are great for daily exfoliating. Use before you shave to keep skin smooth (no bumps) or use before getting a spray tan! These are also great foot scrubs or hand scrubs.

~Kymber

Easy Homemade Bath Salts

Bath salts are relatively easy to make. You can make them with just a few simple ingredients. The basic ingredients for a simple bath salt are salt and baking soda. In fact, you can have a salt bath with just salt!

For the bath salts I make, I normally stick to this basic recipe:

2 parts salt, 1 part baking soda, Essential oils, Coloring

So if you want to fill one PINT and one 1/2 PINT size jar, you would need to use the following measurements:

2 cups mixed salts
1 cup baking soda
10 drops essential oil (depending on the type)
3-4 drops coloring (depending on the type)



Mix well and store in sealed jars. Note: When you make these salts, let them sit out for 24 hours in a cool dry location unsealed. This will help the essential oils and coloring "dry out" a bit before you seal them. Because they are all natural, the salts MAY harden up a bit over time. No big deal and they still work just fine. Mine NEVER last that long! But remember to keep them well sealed so that moisture doesn't enter the jars. Use within about 3 months.

Before I give the recipes let's talk a little about salt as I always get asked what KIND of salt. The answer is - ANY KIND of salt! Really! You can use Epsom Salts, Rock Salt, Sea Salt, Kosher Salt, Canning Salt - basically any type of salt you can get your hands on. I normally mix different types of salts together for mine. I always mix in some Epsom salt because it's great for bathing. If you can find different "textures" of salt that works great. For example, the next time you to to the grocery, see if they stock Ice Cream Salt. It is sold in a box and the salt is larger crystals. I like to add a bit of that into mine with the other salts. You can always order specialty salts online - pink sea salts, etc.  It's up to you how far you want to go with this one.

Here are a few different ways to use the above recipe.

Candy Cane (Cooling Peppermint):
Basic Salt recipe plus 5 drops of peppermint oil. Mix well and then see if you need a few more drops. Peppermint oil is very strong and cooling. You do NOT want to use too much of this one. I add mint flakes to mine but it is totally optional. I use red coloring for soaps/salts and/or a mica coloring. You can buy this type of coloring online or at a hobby/craft store. You can also use regular food coloring but only use a little. You don't want to stain your skin or the bathtub. To make the candy cane salts look pretty, try mixing half these ingredients without coloring and the other half with red coloring. When you put it into your jars, layer it to make it look striped or swirled inside the jar. You can see from the picture above how mine looks. They never look the same, they never look perfect! That's the beauty of homemade products!This mint salt is very energizing, and is great for sore muscles, and for opening up the sinuses!

Citrus Mint:
Basic Salt recipe plus 10 drops of Sweet Orange essential oil, 3 drops Peppermint, and 3 drops Spearmint. (If you only have one mint, that's OK!) Mix well. I used orange coloring in mine and left half white so that I could swirl them into the jar. I also added mint flakes to this recipe. These bath salts are very energizing and invigorating.

Flu Bomb:
I love this combination of essential oils when suffering from flu or cold symptoms! Basic Salt recipe plus 10 drops Eucalyptus, 5 drops Peppermint, 6 drops Lavender, 5 drops Bergamot, and 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil. I use the mint flakes in this one as well as a little chopped/dried rosemary. If you do not keep Bergamot on hand, it's okay, it's not a common essential oil I know. You can replace that with rosemary, lemon, pine, cedarwood, frankincense or just leave it out. I don't know why, but I always use a pale blue in my flu bomb bath salts. Of course you can make these any color you want, or leave them white.


....and here are a few more essential oil combinations that you can try. Once you start using essential oils or just making bath salts, you can research other combinations that you might want to make.

• Sensual - Mix patchouli, cedarwood, and sandalwood essential oils.
• Lavender & Chamomile for rest, relaxation, and sleep.
• Lemon and Rosemary to help clear your mind.
• Lavender, Geranium, and Rosemary to help with anxiety, stress - very calming.
• Cedarwood and Lemon, or Lemon and Orange to uplift your mood.
• Lavender, Peppermint, and Frankincense when you have a fever.

Hope you have an enjoyable bath! Oh and by the way, packaged in cute jars, these make great little gifts for friends and family.

~Kymber