Postpartum Padsicles

I'm back.  Did you miss me?  I sure missed you and this blog.

I originally planned on taking a 3 month break, but I greatly miss-calculated how much of my time would be consumed by moving to a new state and having a baby. 

But we are more settled now so I figure it's time to jump back into my projects.

I saw a pin for these padsicles long before I even got pregnant.  This was my third pregnancy and the hospitals never give me enough of those cold pads that they have. And it doesn't help that they are MASSIVE.  I feel like I have a pillow in my pants. 

Postpartum Padsicles

You Will Need:
Aloe Vera
Witch Hazel
Lavender essential oil

Directions: 
Mix equal parts of aloe vera and witch hazel.  Add a few drops of lavender.  Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto a maxi pad.  Wrap the maxi pad up and place it in the freezer. 

I mixed everything up in a bowl and used 1 drop of lavender oil per tablespoon.  I added a bit more aloe vera to keep it a thick mixture, so it would be easier to spread.   I then opened up several pads and spread a layer of the mixture onto it. It was thick enough that I could see the mixture, but thin enough that it wouldn't clump. 

 I folded them back up in the same wrapper and put them in the freezer until I needed them.

The Verdict:  My first day home from the hospital I grabbed one of those babies right from the freezer and put it in my oh so attractive granny panties.

Within a few minutes I was in immense pain.  I think my sprint to the bathroom to get my pants off broke some records.

The best way I can describe it was a brain freeze on my butt.  Lesson learned, don't use the pads directly from the freezer.

I tried again, but this time I let the pad sit out for several minutes. When I put it in, awwwwwww sweet relief.

I LOVED these.  They were so soothing. They didn't stay cold very long, but the mixture on it was still very soothing. It could be coincidence, but my recovery was faster this time then my previous two pregnancy's. 

The only downside is that they were a bit messy.  Not horrible, but they did leave some residue when I changed them out. 

A little mess for immense relief?  Worth it!

A Little See Ya Later

In the next few months my family and I are going to face two very large life changes.  They are going to be time consuming and keep things a bit crazy until we can settle into our new life and adjust accordingly.

DIY projects are not going to be a priority for awhile.  So for now I bid you all a so long.  But not to worry, I will be back with crazy new adventures.

Thank you everyone for your support so far with this blog.  I appreciate every comment and every page viewed.

See you in a few months.

Hand Sanitizer

I don't consider myself a germ freak, but I do like things to be very clean and organized and during the winter months I load the family up with soap and hand sanitizer whenever we go anywhere.

Last year I tried to make my own hand sanitizer because I get frustrated with how quickly my hands dry out with the store bought kind, plus I just like to try and make my own stuff.

DIY Hand Sanitizer.
You Will Need:
(1) 12 ounce bottle of 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel {It must be clear and say 100% on the bottle!}
3/4 teaspoon of Tea Tree Oil
Witch Hazel

Directions:
In a glass bowl, mix Aloe Vera and Tea Tree Oil.  Then add witch hazel until you have the consistency you want your sanitizer to be

First of all, it was almost impossible to find 100% aloe vera gel.  Every store I went to had the blue kind with lidocaine in it.  I finally just ordered a bottle from Amazon. 

This particular recipe says it is alcohol free. I found other recipes that are very similar that say you can add alcohol if you want to.  I decided to put 2 Tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into my mixture.  Maybe it was a mental block, but how can it really kill off the germs without alcohol?

 I mixed everything together until I got a good gel

 Then put it into little travel size bottles. 

The verdict: Without setting up my own science lab with microscopes and petri dishes, there is no way to know if this stuff kills germs as effectively as the store bought kind but I can tell you four things about it:

It's sticky - if you have used aloe vera gel then you know what I mean.  It has a slight sticky texture until it dries and it takes longer to dry then the store bought kind.

My hands weren't as dry - they still dried out a but but it wasn't as bad as using the store bought kind

It's smelly - each of the ingredients has a strong distinct odor and when you combine them all into a bottle then look out, your sniffer will get an overload

We were healthier - It could be pure coincidence, but we used it during the whole cold/flu season last year and that was the healthiest our family has ever been.  We each got a couple minor colds but that was it.  Nothing major. 

I had planned on using it again this winter to see if we stayed healthier again, but my pregnant sniffer can't handle the smell this time around. 

DIY Play-Doh

 I think a lot of moms have attempted to make their own play-doh at one point or another.  Most of the recipes are really good and turn out great, plus it's nice to know that if your little one tries to eat it they will just get a mouth full of kitchen items.

I have tried several play-doh's and this is by far my favorite

Home Play-doh
You Will Need:
1 Cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 Tbsp baby oil

Directions:
Heat all ingredients over stove top on medium high. Stir until it clumps together and you get the desired consistency.  Knead in food coloring. 

I threw all the ingredients into a pot, mixed them together and turned on the heat. 

 Once the stove reached medium high heat it took about 3 minutes for the mixture to clump up

 I got two good sized balls the size of my palm.

 The Verdict: The reason this is my favorite is because how soft it is.  It's a lot easier to mold and shape then other play-doh's I have tried. 

The first few times you use it, you will end up with grease marks on everything it touches (they wipe right off).  But eventually that stops happening and it's still just as soft. 

The kids will keep it out for very long periods of time and after 3 months it's still just as soft as when I first made it.

It even works great with play-doh accessories. 

DIY Dry Shampoo

Back in April I tried a few DIY dry shampoo's that didn't work very well.  When I was researching that project I came across a wet, dry shampoo.  How could a dry shampoo that is liquid help?  I had to try it.  

Homemade Dry Shampoo
 You Will Need:

1 tbsp of cornstarch

4 tbsp of water

1 tbsp of rubbing alcohol 

 

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together then pour into a spray bottle.  Spray on your scalp, in your hair and anywhere the your hair needs to be de-greased. You do not need to drench your scalp, just dampen it up.  Run a comb or your fingers through your hair to distribute it evenly.  Let it air dry or quickly blast your scalp with a hair dryer.

 

I mixed it all up, and decided right then and there that this wasn't going to end well.  How was spraying this white liquid onto my hair going to be a good thing?

 I sprayed it onto my roots and immediately noticed the white flecks.... yep, not going to end well. 

 I combed it through then used a blow dryer to quickly dry my hair.

The Verdict: I love it when my DIY projects prove me wrong and turn out to be a good thing.

Before, complete with gray hair!

After, doing my best to hide the gray hairs

My hair wasn't fresh out of the shower clean, but it was pretty close. I was able to style it like normal and my hair looked great the rest of the day. 

 Because of the alcohol, my hair was noticeably drier.  If your hair isn't a fan of alcohol then this might not be a good idea for you.  Fortunately my hair can bounce back from any beating I give it and it felt normal by the next morning.

The spray did leave little white specks all over my skin,  but it wiped right off with a damp cloth.

I wouldn't use this all the time because of the alcohol in it, but I've used a few times in the last several months and have been very pleased with it each time.  It's a great "Oh crap, I'm suppose to be out the door in 10 minutes and I'm still in my yoga pants" solution.

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Ummmm..... something about the cold weather and hot chocolate

Ok enough intro, onto the important stuff

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
You Will Need:
3 cups nonfat instant dry milk powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients into a large bowl. Pour half of the mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process until the chocolate is finely ground. Transfer to an airtight container, then repeat with the remaining mix. Store in the airtight container for up to 3 months.

To make the hot cocoa drink, mix 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix with 1 cup hot milk. About 20 servings

Using that much powder stuff, I ended up with a good size mess. But it was easy to clean up.

The Verdict: I mixed it with milk and with water to see how it compared. 

The milk was definitely creamier and pretty good. 

The water mixture was thinner but had a richer taste

Both of them left a cocoa powder after taste in my mouth which I wasn't to fond of but it was subtle. Also, it doesn't mix as well as other mixtures I've tried.  There is a good amount of mixture that settles on the bottom, but it's an easy fix, just don't drink the last bit. 

Overall, it was better then any store bought packets I have tried, but not nearly as good as Starbucks.  But that might be because they use whole milk and whip cream. 

Homemade Wheat Thins

Oh Wheat Thins.... what would I do without your salty crunchy goodness? I try not to buy them that often because when I do the box is empty within 24 hours.  Both the kids and I have no control when they are in the house.

Homemade Wheat Thins
You Will Need:
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) 100% whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling on
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons Earth Balance (I used soy-free) or butter
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water (or a tiny bit more if dough is too dry)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, paprika, salt).
3. With a pastry blender (or two forks), cut in the Earth Balance or butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. See image below. Now mix together the water and vanilla and then pour into the flour and Earth balance mixture. Stir this mixture until it comes together. I got in there with my hands and really squeezed the dough to help it come together. If it appears dry add a touch of water, but you don't want it sticky.
4. Split the dough in half. On a floured surface or on a non-stick mat, roll out one half of the dough very thin (1/16th inch). Using a pizza cutter, cut into whatever shape you desire. Using a spatula, place the crackers on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat as necessary. Sprinkle with more salt and sesame seeds if desired.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching closely. Half way through baking rotate the pan to ensure even baking. My crackers took 10 minutes, but if you do not use a baking mat it will likely take less time for you. Be careful because they burn quickly. Cool completely. Makes about 64 crackers for this full recipe. Store in an air-tight container.
Note: This recipe made enough crackers for two baking sheets. I baked them separately, but I am sure you could bake them at the same time as long as you rotate the pans half way through.

 These looked pretty simple so I had the kids grab their step stools and help me.  They were so excited to be making their own Wheat Thins.

We mixed the dough

 Rolled it out and used a pizza cutter to make the squares

 Then put them on the cookie sheet.

 When they were done baking they had become a lot darker and thicker.  They were still a bit soft but I didn't dare put them back in the oven because some of them were starting to burn. 


















The Verdict:  My daughter popped one in her mouth and immediately said "I yike it!!" But then her face slowly contorted until she was looking pretty disgusted and promptly spit the rest of the cracker onto the floor. 

My son ate one, but was smart enough  to spit his out into the garbage.  He said "At first I thought it was good, but the deeper it went into my throat I realized it was gross."

At this point I wasn't to excited to try one, but knew I needed to form my own opinion.  If you want to know what it taste like, go grab a handful of wheat flour and put it in your mouth.  They were pretty gross, and the kids and I had a lovely case of cotton mouth for the next several minutes.