Lavender Laundry Soap

I’ve always been a big fan of Gain laundry detergent because it smells amazing. When Tyler and I were dating, his clothes always smelled so good. So I hunted around his apartment and took note of his laundry detergent. Since we dated long distance and only saw each other every few months, I started using Gain so I could smell him (he’s not a cologne guy, so this was my best shot at being a creepy girlfriend and breathing in his scent when I missed him.) Since we’ve had kids, it always made me a little uncomfortable washing their clothes and blankies with the toxins in such delicious smelling detergent. Especially now that my second-born started teething and sucking profusely on any nearby item of clothing. So I decided to try making my own with natural ingredients! Here is the first recipe I’ve tried that I like, and it cleans clothing really well. It’s borax-free and still smells great with the addition of pure lavender. Also, it was so inexpensive and super easy to make.

You’ll need:

1/2 C washing soda

1/2 C baking soda

3/4 C Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Castile Soap

2 gallons very warm water

10 drops lavender essential oil

2 gallon containers for storage

Add washing soda to a very large bucket or pot, then cover with ONE gallon of hot water and whisk well to dissolve. Add baking soda, then the last gallon of hot water and whisk again. It's important to whisk these separately, otherwise it gets SUPER clumpy and hard to break down. Then, add your castile soap and essential oil and whisk until all ingredients are blended. Funnel into large containers. I used two half gallon mason jars + a recycled gallon-sized apple juice jug. 

Just add 1/3 cup to a regular load of laundry. After a few days, I noticed a little bit of white filmy build-up in the soap, so just shake well before each use! 

Mint & Frankincense Facewash

After trying just about every face wash throughout my youth, I finally found the best soap for my skin, which has been Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. I've been using it for the past six years and love that it keeps my skin clear. I've always diluted it with half water, just so it isn't as intense. Today, I ran out. With my recent purchase of Young Living's essential oils, a fresh supply of Unscented Dr. Bronner's and a splash of rose water, I've concocted the simplest, dreamiest recipe for a quick replacement. I decided to use a little rosewater to reduce the appearance of puffiness and to soften the skin (also, rosewater smells heavenly!) I also added frankincense to promote smooth skin, and I like peppermint for its refreshing and energizing scent. After my first wash with this recipe, I was actually in shock of how great my face felt! Literally, as smooth as a baby. I didn't even want to put any makeup on, and spent the next couple hours petting my own cheeks. 

8 oz. Dr. Bronner's Unscented Castile Soap

1 Tb rosewater

Therapeutic grade frankincense and peppermint, 3 drops of each**

A bottle with a small pour spout. I recycled an amber kombucha bottle and a squeeze bottle top from an empty honey bottle! Perfect fit.

Fill your empty bottle with all the ingredients, then fill the rest with purified water (about 8 ounces) and gently shake to mix! You're done. All it takes is a drop to lather.

Homemade Wipes

I am just so excited about these homemade wipes! I never thought I'd say that about wipes, but I can honestly say I'll never buy them from the store again. These are made with ingredients I already had and I incorporated Young Living's lavender and tea tree oils. They are gentle, moisturizing, actually clean the skin, DURABLE, and I don't have to worry about them harming my babes when we go through a ton a day. 

I did a little math and realized this recipe came to cost about 2 cents per wipe, or $2.31 per batch of 100 wipes. I compared this to Honest Co.'s natural wipes, which cost 7 cents per wipe, or $4.95 per pack! And this recipe is so quick and easy, I have been able to whip up a batch in a matter of minutes when we've run out.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 roll of paper towels—I used Viva for its durability
1 3/4 C distilled water, or boiled and cooled but still warm
1 Tb coconut oil
1 Tb witch hazel
1 Tb Dr. Bronner's unscented castile soap
2 capsules of vitamin E, or 10 drops from a liquid dropper
Lavender and Tea Tree essential oil, 3 drops each
A container to store the wipes in—I've re-used formula containers and cut a slit in the top for easy dispersion, a cylindrical glass jar, or a deep storage container with an easy pop top.

Cut the paper towel roll in half using a sharp serrated knife, or if you don't want to use your kitchen knives, a chop saw works great! Place cut side down into your container and set aside. In a bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together water, coconut oil, witch hazel and soap until all is dissolved and no chunks of coconut oil remain. Then add your essential oils. Gently pour mixture over the paper towel roll, covering sides and center, and pull out cardboard roll. Cover and let container sit on all sides until the liquid has been evenly dispersed. Pull wipes out from the center of the roll and you're done!

If you would like to try Young Living's oils, I recommend getting the Premium Starter Kit, which contains these oils along with nine others I've come to love!

In my last batch of wipes, I modified the recipe by adding 3 drops of eucalyptus to double as Boogie Wipes! I used Young Living's Eucalyptus Radiata because it is gentle and safe to use on children, and is refreshing for sinus congestion. We've gone through a ton during this season of allergies and teething!

This recipe can also be found on my friend's blog. Visit Vanilla & Lace to see more!

Essential Oils

I'm not one to impulsively purchase anything big. Often when I shop, it takes hours because not only am I indecisive, but I go over the practicality of the item, evaluate if I really love it or just like it, put it in my cart, stop, hold it for a while, put it back, leave the store, think about it for a while, then return for it if I decide I can't live without it. 

For months I've thought about getting on the essential oils train, but had decided against it because I've actually been really skeptical about them in general. I feel like a lot of what you hear is how they miraculously heal ailments and treat issues that come up in the day to day, but honestly have felt like maybe a lot of these oils could have been placebos. I'm all about doing things naturally (ex: birthing a child) but am definitely not against ruling out drugs when someone truly needs them (ex: birthing a child). After discovering a couple of oils that I actually prefer over common products, I finally decided to give the Premium Starter Kit from Young Living a try and learn more about them. 

I'm trying to incorporate more and more natural products into my home, for health, cleaning, beauty, etc. and as I'm just getting started, I'm wondering if there are any oils any of you really swear by? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Try the Essential Oil Starter Kit with me.

Hawaiian Babymoon

In October, we decided to take advantage of cheaper airfare and the notion of not being able to travel anywhere exotic for a while. I was seven months pregnant, and desperately wanted to go to a place where I could dig a hole in some soft sand and bury my belly in it. I hate to say it, but I never had a strong desire to go to Hawaii because of my preconceived notions that it was very touristy, expensive and overhyped. Now I can say it was the most beautiful, intoxicating and relaxing place I’ve ever been! I’m already pining to go back someday.

We first arrived in Honolulu and booked a last minute hotel in downtown Waikiki. It was a bit overwhelming after a long flight, and definitely not what I expected. It was fun, but we were looking for some good peace and rest. My dear friend Catherine, who lives on the island, met up with us and let us borrow her car for the couple of days we were on Oahu, so the next day we headed up through Manoa Valley to stay in Kailua and explore the north shore. It was insanely beautiful!

We then went to Kauai for the next five days, where we rented a car and stayed at Kauai Beach Resort. It was the perfect spot to stay because we could drive to either side of the island and explore to our hearts content. I definitely understand why it’s called the “garden island." Everything about this island was so lush and beautiful. We drove to a private beach in a residential area, where we saw a monk seal on the shore! A friend on the island later told us it was an extremely rare sighting, because they are endangered. We also made our rounds to the Kilauea lighthouse, hiked a little in Waimea Canyon and Na Pali Coast State Park.

We also headed up to the north coast and explored a little bit on the Kalalau Trail, where we stumbled upon a stunning viewpoint in a little clearing. We also found lots of rock piles and handmade leis strewn about, and we knew we were in a very sacred place. It was so peaceful and breathtaking! Later, our friend told us that exact spot was where hula actually originated, and they still use it for the same purpose today. So awesome! We were also able to visit said friend and her family with a picnic at a park.

We also headed to the west side of the island, where we went off the beaten path and found a huge and deserted stretch of beach. We swam a bit and then a storm rolled through. We had no chance of staying dry, so we waded in the ocean up to our eyes and got pelted with heavy rain for a few minutes! After that, we drove to the northernmost point on the west coast and watched the sunset.

This was definitely a trip I'll remember forever! Can't wait to go back one day, maybe with two kids in tow...