Soap Instructions

Several of you asked how I made the soap for Macie. These are super basic and easy but I will tell you how I did them. During the winter months Macie's eczema gets out of control. She has a prescription steroid cream which helps but not nearly as much as she needs. In October we went to open house night at her school. She was scratching her legs when we got out of the car and by the time we were in the school she had blood running down her poor little legs.

I always buy the hypoallergenic body wash for her but every time she got out of the tub her legs were so raw she would just cry. So I figured that hypoallergenic really isn't all that much better.

This soap is SOOOOO easy you can do it with a toddler helping you if you want. First you need a soap base. This kind is also referred to as melt and pour or something like that. I found mine at Hobby Lobby for $9.99. I choose shea butter because it is good for skin. There are other types you can choose from. Goats milk would be great for Eczema as well.


You simply melt the amount you need in the microwave. I figured out that for my molds I needed about 2-3 small blocks( it comes with 36) for each soap bar. After you have melted it you add in the other stuff. I choose aloe vera because it is healing. Vitamin E would also be really good for eczema. The instructions were to add a few drops per ounce so I did that. This is also where you would want to add in color or fragrance. I did NOT add color or fragrance because I wanted it to be as natural as possible. The bottle of aloe vera concentrate(below) was $2.99 at Hobby Lobby.

While the base was melting I took out my blender and ground up some oats from my pantry. Oatmeal is SUPER great at soothing eczema. We usually put some in a sock and hang it from the faucet for Macie's bath. It really helps. After it was completely ground I simply added it to the soap and mixed.

Then you pour your mix into the plastic molds($2.47 at HL) and wait for it to cool and harden. It says it should take 20-40 minutes but mine took about an hour to be ready. Then simply pop it out of the mold and VOILA!!!!! Eczema fighting soap power. It lathers very well and when my cutie pie gets out of the tub she isn't screaming how bad she is hurting. I hope that this helps any of you who try it. It really did help Macie and I now know we will continue to make our own soap. The possibilities are endless with all the stuff you can add to them and use.

I will also add that this is not a decorative soap. I didn't care about color, etc. You can definitely make yours more attractive but my primary goal was for my daughter to get some relief. They will turn out like the ones in my last post. If you make some I would love to know if it helped you or you child out with skin issues. :)

Have fun making it. I think it could become rather addicting. :)

Soap success!

What do you get when you add a shea butter base, aloe vera concentrate and ground up oatmeal? You get some super powered all natural eczema fighting soap. I made four bars as a test run. They were super easy and Macie loves them. Yeah! I am going to make a ton more soon.

ETA: I am so over winter. I want some warmth. I want my flip flops and my little girls in sleeveless sun dresses. I want to stop being frozen solid. I can't believe I am actually saying this but this cold weather has got to go.

Target trip

Just a few short hours after I posted my last post this morning the boy and I went to target and what did we come home with?

A new camera of course. I think I am really going to like this one. It is basically just a little point and shoot but it takes pretty darn good pics. And it is the highest megapixel camera I have ever had.

Gotta love Target. Oh and the best part is that it was on sale. :) Saved myself $40!!

Missing my camera

I am still without a camera. I have a lot to share but without my camera I just don't feel like it. Hubby took it today to see if we can get it fixed or if I need to buy a new one. I can't go much longer without it.

Be back when I have new photos to share. :)

Moments

This was the last picture I took right before my camera broke yesterday. Grrrrr. I am so not happy about having to replace that but anyway...moving right along.

Makayla came home from school early yesterday because she was sick. I sat her on the couch to watch a movie and read. I spend every single day missing the baby years. The precious moments when my babies would lay in my arms and coo and smile that precious little toothless grin.

But then seeing moments like this make me so grateful for the bigger years too. The curiosity that comes with having learning children. The thoughts that they share from their little world. I love it all. These are also such precious moments.

It is so sweet to watch your kids lying on the couch reading a book themselves. I need to make a better effort to focus on the present instead of the past.

And what could be better motivation that three precious kiddos?

ETA: Forgot to mention the quilt Makayla is using. I found it on clearance for $29.98 at Target the other night. Originally $59.99. SCORE!!!

The Game Plan

The last few days in our home have been anything but peaceful. We have been dealing with anger in one child. Severe tantrums in another and on top of all that our kitchen sink has been clogged and completely out of order for over a week.

Let me tell you that I have spent an insane amount of money eating out every day for lunch and dinner. The landlord is fixing it but it isn't done yet. Not a very good week for us.

When my kids come home they are so tired that they can't stop picking fights with one another. It is pure chaos from the moment the van door closes at school to the moment the last child asleep shuts their eyes.

I have been trying to figure out ways to give them (and me) a little peace during the late afternoon and evening hours.

This is my game plan. A bean bag, new books, a puzzle and a card game. I am hoping that the beanbag will be a good way for a child to go off to the side alone and get some time to themselves. They can read, play quietly or just relax. The games should help them with boredom. If all goes well we will be adding more stuff to the game plan but for now I am starting small. If we don't get some peace in our home soon I am going to loose my mind.

ETA: The school nurse just called me and said Makayla is miserable and in her office. I kept her home yesterday with a low grade fever and coughing. Now she is feeling worse so I need to go get her. When will life slow down to a calming pace?

Being Prepared

I like to be prepared. Being caught off guard doesn't sit well with me. Hubby is pretty much the opposite. He takes whatever comes his way and doesn't really worry much about the future. After a few conversations we decided to start building up a stockpile of food. My reason for this varies. I want a full pantry so I always have something to make and I want a good stockpile so we aren't ever caught in a situation where we have to stay home due to an emergency situation without food.

My grocery store has been having an insane sale on several things we use constantly. I got the mac-n-cheese for $.50 each and the Goldfish for $.88 each. You can't see it in the photo but there are also about 15 packages of spaghetti under the other noodles. I am only buying stuff I know we will eat and rotate through. This is just the start of our stockpile. We decided to take a couple hundred extra dollars and get a head start.

Like I said I am big on being prepared. I am also making an emergency kit. This will include flashlights, first aid kit, water, small snacks, change of clothes, etc. The kit is for in case we have to leave quickly in our car for some reason. We would have everything we need right there available. I am going to do other posts about being prepared as the kit is completed, food stocked up in the shelves, etc. I do think it is very important to be ready. And believe me it is worth it. I have been through a flood( 2 feet of water in our home) and numerous hurricanes. With a family to care for I feel like it is the only smart thing to do. You can always use up your stockpile before it goes bad. I checked the pasta for dates in 2012 or even 2013. That way I don't have to worry about it going bad before we eat 20 pounds of pasta.

Do you have an emergency stockpile? What else do you do to be prepared?

A good laugh

Yesterday we decided to go to IHOP for breakfast. It ended up being way too busy with a long wait so we decided to go somewhere else. When we were leaving the parking lot of IHOP Macie said...

" Mommy. Why aren't we going to IPOD???"

:):):)