DIY

Stay Connected To Family & Friends During Lockdown

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5 Ways To Stay Connected As A Family During Social Distancing And Lockdown

Image Credit: Pexels, Free to Use Licence. 

 

COVID-19, social distancing measures and lockdown have put restrictions on families and friends, stopping them from visiting one another and gathering in close groups. For elderly relatives, or those living alone, this can be a very isolating time, so it is important for families to come together and to stay connected-somehow. If you’re missing your family gatherings and have relatives who are confined to their homes alone, then here are 5 ways you can stay connected safely. 

Write to everyone 

There’s something very special about receiving a handwritten letter in the mail. We just got letters and “specials” from some friends that we are used to seeing often. The kids were so excited to each receive their own mail and of course, they felt connected to the family that sent them.

Why not have an arts and crafts day and create some beautiful cards to send to your loved ones. Let the little ones go wild with dot paints, crayons and water color pencils. If you want to add an extra special touch then you could even use an embossing folder to create a 3D effect.

The lovingly created designs will brighten anyone’s day.

Host a family quiz

Who doesn’t love a quiz? Get your family together online through a platform such as Zoom or Skype and host your own weekly family quiz.

Name your teams, answer the questions, have a laugh and enjoy each other’s virtual company. To keep the questions varied and to ensure that no one person has to always put in the work, let the winner of the quiz choose someone to host it the following week. If you really want to go all out, get all the different families that will join on Zoom the same game (we love Trivial Pursuit) and play together virtually.

Have a cook-along

Missing Granny’s pot roast? Then have a cook along and recreate her dish using her recipe. Circulate a list of ingredients that everyone needs to get ahead of time and then arrange a time and day to come together via a video link. Whoever is leading the cook-along is in charge of this cooking show, so simply follow their lead and in no time everyone should be eating a perfect replica of the family favorite. You could even set the table and sit down altogether from behind your screen to enjoy it.  

Video chat 

Although a cook-along or quiz may be fun, sometimes all you need is a good, long video chat. Set up your video link, get comfortable with a cup of tea or coffee, and simply catch up on the activities you have been doing and how you are all feeling. Isolation and lockdown can be very trying on our mental health, so offer a sympathetic ear to those in need and have a laugh to make you all feel better. Be there for those that get especially down during isolation, or who have fears during this time.

Throw a Netflix party

Finally, if you’re looking for a way to relax together while staying apart then throw a Netflix Party.

Netflix Party allows you to synchronize the playing of your favorite shows and also has a built-in group chat so you can discuss the plot and keep the conversation flowing. What’s more, Netflix Party is completely free to use for Netflix members and with more than a million shows to choose from, you won’t be running out of things to watch any time soon. 

 

Surviving social distancing as a close-knit family may be hard, but together we’ll get through it, and be stronger, more appreciative, and have better habits when it is all done!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

Why You Should Prime Before Chalk Painting

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{original publish date February 13, 2018}

there are some great questions in the comments, so after reading this post, check them out. Feel free to add your comment also. I do my best to reply, sometimes the comments get sent to my spam and I don’t see them promptly. But I try to check often.

Update: All of the painting I did and have done since, using this technique has held up to daily use and abuse by a family of 6, with 4 small children.

I finally finished the laundry room cabinets. Before, they were the common orange oak. Wood cabinets are beautiful, and typically I like them. But with our floors and color schemes, I did not like the orange/honey oak cabinets. Because refinishing floors is too big of an undertaking right now, I decided to paint the cabinets!

I did use a primer on the cabinets before chalk painting; I did it *just* to see if the paint covered better, and to fill in some of the wood grain.

BEFORE YOU CHALK PAINT

  • Join the CHALK AND MILK PAINT PROJECTS facebook group. They are full of information, not brand specific, and can tell you the *truths* about using chalk paint, that manufacturers/professionals may not. It isn’t as simple as we have been made to believe. haha
  • Decide what look you are going for: Do you mind the wood grain showing through? I didn’t mind it- I knew my cabinets would look like painted wooden cabinets in a farm house. That doesn’t bother me. BUT If you want a perfectly smooth finish with painted-from-the-manufacturer look, then you will need to use a wood grain filler first, along with a few more steps.
  • YOU HAVE TO PRIME WOOD. Period.  NO one tells you this, not blogs, not Pinterest posts, not the chalk painting industry, no one! And typically, brand-loyal reps will say “such and such chalk paint brand doens’t do this …” BUT if you are going to polyurethane OR polycrylic (and even wax sometimes) to seal your chalk painted wood you risk the tannins from the wood bleeding through the paint and yellowing the poly! Trust me, 3 projects an joining the above FB group later, I learned my lesson. Read below for WHY.
  • It needs to be an OIL based primer– water attracts tannins, which is why the water based poly shows tannin bleed through! (Really, all this info credit goes to the ladies in the above FB group, I did not know these things!) The OIL based primer acts as a “solid” barrier if you will, where as the water based primer we all love to use, allows bleed through. Save yourself the trouble later and just prime first.
  • Know your chalk paint- I have used only 2 different brands. Dutch Boy from Menard’s and a chalk paint from a company online (purchased on Amazon). The chalk paint from the shop on Amazon is superior to the Dutch Boy, in my opinion. I *think* what makes chalk paint special is the actual pigments that color it; I am unsure if chalk-style paint like Dutch Boy uses pigments, or just tinting like regular paints. This could be the difference I am seeing in my 2 paints? I should call and ask Menard’s what they use to color the Dutch Boy paint.
  • Ladies in the FB group really like some of the DIY chalk paint recipes even BETTER than the BIG name brand chalk paint… I’m telling, that group is awesome!
  • Gather everything you need-

Chalk Painting My Laundry Hall Cabinets

  • Washed well with soapy water (using Dawn dish soap). Let dry
  • Clean well with Krud Kutter, wiped dry, allowed to dry 10-15 minutes
  • Prime using oil based primer and priming brush (synthetic bristles)
  • After drying thoroughly, paint using chalk paint and chalk paint brush. After a few projects I discovered that YES, a chalk paint brush is necessary for chalk paint. The application and final coverage is amazing and much better than with a regular paint brush.
  • I applied each coat of paint as soon as the first dried; chalk paint dries quickly, so this part goes quickly
  • after thoroughly dried, apply polycrylic or crystal clear polyurethane. The longer you let the chalk paint cure, the better your poly application will look. Lightly sand with a fine sanding sponge between coats of poly. The more coats of poly you add, the shinier it will become-even if you choose flat poly… so if you’re going for a flatter/chalk paint look, then only apply 2 coats of poly!

****It is important to stir, stir, stir, SLOWLY, your paints and polys. Stir often because you need to keep the particles in the medium suspended, slowly because- bubbles.

Also, if your paint is too thick or left open a while, you can water it down using distilled water, no harm no foul. **This often allows a better application anyway, prevents globbing, dripping, and it doesn’t take much water.

That’s pretty much it! I applied 3 coats of poly on my cabinet doors; it is a matte, but the 3rd coat made them more “satin” or shiny than matte. I don’t like the shine, I wanted a matte look, so I am going to sand and try to get rid of the shine some. Next time I will use 2 top coats instead of 3.

 

One day I hope to tackle our  kitchen cabinets in a similar way!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

This entry was posted in DIY.

Going Green at Home and Homestead is Easy

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Whether your home is a farm, a homeschool for your children, or a typical family dwelling, you can save money and energy by going green at home. Adopting eco-friendly habits at home is sure to improve the life of our families and did I mention save money? 😉

Aside from enhancing physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the environment, it feels good to save money, prevent waste (of resources and $$) and live simply. What can we do to go greener without breaking the bank?

Going Green at Home and Homestead is Easy

Upgrade Building Features

Building energy-efficiency ratings have a huge impact on our carbon footprint and thus utility bills. Thicker/new windows and improved roofing insulation will reduce energy waste through lost heating. Choosing the right materials should be high on the agenda when building a new home, or improving an existing building- features such as shake siding, updating insulation in windows, attics, and garages, and using recycled items can upgrade the home in every sense.

(We plan to update windows in our home, insulation, paint the exterior brick, and add shake shingle siding eventually.) We enclosed our garage and made sure the new addition space was filled with insulation.

Making improvement can include everything from identifying water leaks and possible mold growth, to stopping drafts. The longer it is left, the more costly the repairs for damage and our health becomes anyway. So fixing those drafty windows, doors, and water leaks offers a big pay out!

Using The Garden

Gardens and other outside spaces are naturally great places to invest in eco-friendly upgrades. Whether it’s growing fruits and veggies, farming, composting, or worm farming, it saves resources and money for your family! Plus, all those things are fun and great ways to spend time as a family.

Simply spending more time outdoors is likely to improve our overall well being, too! It can be  a lifestyle change for some families, but it is 100% worth it. Set some goals for getting outside if your family isn’t used to it- an hour a day, 2- 20 minute walks, looking for bugs in the spring, nature journaling as a family, etc. 

\You can find so many different nature activity calendars out there- do a quick duckduckgo.com search for a free printable. A patio area, BBQ or fire pit, small container vegetable garden, or simple hanging baskets of flowers are a great start to a greener outside space.

Using Efficient Appliances

Inside the home, selecting updated appliances will bring significant benefits. Whether it’s a water filter like the Berkey (we have this one),  water-efficient toilets and dishwashers, the infamous HE washing machines, or a new refrigerator, you can see savings and improved health pretty quickly.

Our Berkey filters out chemicals, bacteria, and has antimicrobial properties in the filters. We have well water so my doctor recommended we get a Berkey to filter out all the cancer-causing and endocrine disrupting chemicals/pesticides in the ground water. It tastes so much better than before and we have definitely seen improvement in my hormone levels and how we feel.

The technologies used in appliances today have evolved at a rapid rate. While making products last longer is usually a good thing, persisting with outdated tech is not. Something I noticed when we moved to our last home- we went from an older (1990s?), perfectly fine fridge, to a brand new fridge- and we immediately started saving money! All of our produce and dairy products started lasting longer in the new refrigerator! So not only was it more efficient for our utility bill, but it saved money in the grocery department.

 

Change Simple Habits

One of the biggest principles in homesteading is reusing what you can- It can mean reviving wooden spoons and kitchenware or turning old toys and furniture into child bedroom decorations. (We’ve all seen the baby cribs or box springs turned into reading nooks and planters.) Embracing the habit of reusing can produce changes that last a long time and keep “stuff and thangs” out of landfills, thus taking a small step towards helping the environment.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

Perfect Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Recipe

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I have scavenged the internet and cookbooks alike for a perfect gluten free sourdough bread loaf.

Gluten Free Sourdough Bread

Needless to say, it wasn’t easy … and NO ONE seemed to have what I was looking for. Lots of recipes called for added yeast, no sourdough starter at all, lots of different flours, gums, and additives. There were many that used gluten free flours that I don’t keep on hand, or recipes that weren’t for a bread loaf.

But alas, I have done it! After at least a year of messing with recipes, I’ve mixed, matched, and played with it until we finally have a perfect gluten free bread loaf recipe!

For best results, use a gluten free starter like this one, and an all purpose gluten free baking mix. 

You will need to start feeding your starter the day before you plan to bake bread. For example, if I want to make bread on Wednesday, I will feed my starter on Tuesday, and make the dough that night. It will ferment overnight, and then I will do the short second rise Wednesday morning, then bake.

If you want to make it for an evening meal, just do the fermentation during the day, short second rise, then bake.

**Tip- I feed my starter and put it in the oven, with the light on, to keep it warm. I keep our house pretty cool, so it would take a while for it to really ferment on my counter.

Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe! The steps are short and I promise they are simple- much easier than it looks at first. After you make this the first time, you will have no problem making it again and again!

Perfect Gluten Free Sourdough Bread Recipe

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

  • 1 cup gluten free sourdough starter FED
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 TB melted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 2 TB honey
  • 2.5 cups all purpose gluten free flour mix/baking mix
  • 1 TB baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, eggs, butter, milk, and honey.
  2. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined
  4. Then beat the mixture on medium/high for 3 minutes
  5. With damp fingers or wet spatula, smooth the surface of the dough flat.
  6. Spray the top with oil/Pam (we use coconut oil Pam)
  7. Cover tightly with lid or plastic wrap, and let ferment for at least 4 hours, up to over night (I do overnight)
  8. Oil a 9x5 loaf pan, sprinkle with flour, and with a damp spatula pour the dough into the pan. It will be less of a dough and more like a pancake batter consistency.
  9. Smooth out the top of the bread and, spray the top with Pam again, cover loosely and let rise for about an hour, up to 90 minutes. It should reach the top of the pan.
  10. Preheat oven to 400degrees
  11. Remove plastic wrap and place pan in the oven- turn down temperature to 350 degrees, and bake about 50-55 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.
  12. I tried removing the bread at 40 and 45 minutes but it was not done all the way. I took it out at 50 minutes and let it cool. It was just about done. Another minute or 2 and it would have been perfect.
  13. The middle of the bread should be 200 degrees if you have a meat thermometer handy.

 

When you are done using the 1 cup of starter, you can feed your “mother” starter, and place it back in the fridge to live happily until the next baking day. I often go ahead and feed mine again for sourdough pancakes, while I have it out.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

Gluten Free Sourdough Pancake Recipe {starter + flour}

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I wanted to share a gluten free sourdough pancake recipe, using your starter and flour at home. I have 2 recipes that I’ve modified for our family (from non starter recipes using yeast packets)- one uses only starter (the next post), and another uses starter and flour. That’s this recipe.

I typically use the starter + flour recipe, because I don’t always have enough starter for the other version.

We do double this recipe; as with most sourdough recipes, it does best with a well established, fed starter. So plan to feed starter the night or early morning before. =)

 

Sourdough Pancake Recipes {with flour version}

Number of servings: 8

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Sourdough Pancake Recipes {with flour version}

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (we use all purpose gluten free flour)
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 TB sugar (we use coconut sugar)
  • 1 tsp pink salt
  • 1 cup sourdough starter
  • 1 1/2 cups milk of choice (we use fresh goat milk or almond milk, as we have cow milk intolerances)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 2 TB oil-refined (no flavor) coconut works well

Instructions

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients
  2. Mix together the oil, egg, milk and starter
  3. Heat cast iron skillet, griddle, or ceramic non stick pan
  4. using 1/4c measuring cup to pour batter on skillet
  5. **The secret to perfect pancakes is to wait for the edges to bubble and brown. The center will usually bubble and puff also. But the pancakes are NOT ready to flip until the edges are a beautiful golden brown.
  6. Cook pancakes through and enjoy with REAL maple syrup!


Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

How to Make Easy Kombucha at Home {DIY fermented foods}

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Here are the simple instruction for how we make kombucha at home- our whole family enjoys kombucha, especially the kids. It is so fun in summer when it gets a really wild, fizzy taste from the warm, humid air.

Easy DIY Kombucha at Home

I keep our kombucha in a 2 gallon crock like this one. You can find a SCOBY here.

One-Quart Batch:

  • 1½ teaspoon loose tea or 2 tea bags
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2-3 cups water
  • ½ cup starter tea or vinegar

Half-Gallon Batch:

  • 1 tablespoon loose tea or 4 tea bags
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 6-7 cups water
  • 1 cup starter tea or vinegar

Gallon Batch (I double this for the 2 gallon croc):

  • 2 tablespoons loose tea or 8 tea bags
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 13-14 cups water
  • 2 cups starter tea or vinegar
  1. Make the sweet tea by boiling the water, adding sugar, and steeping tea according to instructions; allow to cool completely (hot tea will kill the SCOBY)
  2. Add tea, SCOBY, and starter to the croc/jar and let ferment for 5-7 days.

The more kombucha you make with your SCOBY, the better the flavor will become. Older SCOBYs produce a much more flavorful batch than baby SCOBYs.

What I Use

I like to use a combo of oolong and black tea. You can really use any kind of caffeinated tea. I also like using tea from  Strand Tea. My friend who introduced me to kombucha started me using their teas, and I still use them.

Any kind of white sugar will do for making the tea sweet; because the SCOBY eats it, you don’t need to worry about drinking sugary tea. =)

 

 

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

Preparing for Cold and Flu Season Naturally

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preparing for cold and flu season naturally

Photo Credit HERE

This post may contain affiliate links, thank for your support!

So, cold and flu season is almost here!  Obviously I hope none of us get sick, because well … that just isn’t fun!

Obviously there is no way to ensure your family doesn’t get sick, however, there are ways to boost everyone’s immune systems naturally to help ward off illness and lessen the blow when it happens!

We will be:

Will these things keep our family 100% well?  Maybe not, but that isn’t their job.  Combined with healthy foods and other natural lifestyle changes the above list definitely helps with overall health and wellbeing.  When you take care of the internal systems- the gut namely- the rest will take care of itself.

Gut health is so important- if you are having problems in the way of symptoms (think eczema, body aches, migraines, rashes, upset stomach,) look at the diet and gut health first.

Not all bodies are created equally, and not all foods are either.  

In case we do come down with illnesses, I will have my essential oils on hand, and my homemade cough medicine ready to go!  I also want to look into making some elderberry syrup and cough drops- that is on my “to try” list.

What will you do this fall and winter to care for your family?

 

**Disclaimer- This is not medical advice, and is only for information purposes. These are protocols that work for my family, which I feel very comfortable using, and have educated myself about using.  Please talk to your doctor, and only do what you are comfortable with for your family.  God bless!

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Technology Free Ideas for Family Night

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Family Night Ideas

Image credit Pixabay CC0 License

Fall is here! That means that it is time to start getting cozy and enjoying the anticipation that the changing season brings. This is the time of year that is perfectly suited for snuggly family nights in, enjoying quality time spent together.

We decided a long time ago, that our family would limit screen time, for everyone. But often parents find it a struggle to get the family in one room without having the kids playing computer games, on a cell phone, or engrossed in a tablet. The kids will soon forget all about their devices when they are having fun with the rest of the family, building relationships and encouraging one another. After all, it is the times that are spent together as a family that make future treasured memories … not the time spent completing the next level of a video game.

Just as kids are easily distracted by technology, adults often find themselves staring at a phone or working on emails during precious time with their kids. Social media, in particular, is especially distracting for adults, and a real drain on time, could be spent with the family, laughing with our kids, and listening to our partners.

Once you have decided to spend a technology-free evening together, you may as well go the whole hog, and say no to watching the TV too! That way, everyone can focus on interacting with each other and being fully present. The trick now is thinking of activities to keep everyone engaged, and having a fun evening without the fuss and bickering that can come with denying children the technology they’re used to.

Here is a little inspiration to get you started:

Get Cooking

Sharing a meal is something you do each day, but in the busy-ness of family life, it may be rushed. To make your family time special, why not get the whole family involved in creating a delicious meal together? You don’t need to make a complicated dinner, just make sure that it includes ingredients that everyone likes so that it is an enjoyable experience. Littles can slice fruit, older kids can slice vegetables, any age child can mash potatoes, stir meat, mix pancakes, the list goes on! Someone can set the table, another pour the drinks, etc.

Most kids love to help with cooking, and it is a perfect way to combine learning with a fun activity. Baking, in particular, is excellent as children get to put their weighing and measuring skills into action, and see how different ingredients combine to create something wholly different. Teaching them how to make banana cream pie and other delicious desserts is a sure-fire way of encouraging an interest in cooking. It is also a great way to spend quality time together.

Once you have all worked together to whip up your tasty feast, it is time to sit down and enjoy it together. Try to make the meal a leisurely one, where everyone is able to chat and get involved in the conversation. Ask open ended questions about everyone’s day- I like to ask what everyone’s favorite part of the day was. Talk about the meal you made as a family, and what other meals you’d like to attempt in the future.

Be Creative

Craft activities are a lovely way to spend family time and are just perfect for cozy fall evenings. When it comes to crafting, the only limit is your imagination. You could create a family collage or scrapbook detailing your best times together, such as special occasions and days out, birthdays and trips. Putting your memories onto paper like this, not only creates something very special to treasure over the years, but also provides a real talking point and the chance to reminisce over favorite times. We love keeping our family journal!

Other examples of excellent family crafts include making greetings cards to send to loved ones. Or, how about decorating pine cones, maybe make a nature picture from fallen leaves (a favorite for littles in our home); the possibilities really are endless.

If you are feeling exceptionally creative, you could make up your own book or comic. Each person could do some drawing and take it in turns to write the next line of text. Kids love to do this, as they like to see their grown-ups having fun and being a little silly. Who knows, this could be a story that becomes a bedtime favorite for many years to come!

 

Family Night Ideas

Image credit Pexels CC0 License

Play Time

If crafting isn’t your thing, why not get yourselves comfortable with a hot chocolate and enjoy a family games night? Lots of people have board games languishing unplayed in cupboards, so why not set up a little tournament and put your skills to the test? Be sure to keep the competition friendly though!

Some of favorite games include: Cobra Paw, Left Right Center, Baggo, Jenga, moose in the House, Rubik’s Race, Rat a tat Cat, and UNO.

As well as being heaps of fun, playing games is an excellent way to teach kids about taking turns. They also help teach valuable life lessons, such as being gracious in defeat, and that you can’t win every single time.

Above all, this is an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and spend a fun-filled evening together.

What’s your family’s favorite way to spend family night?

  

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

Garage Conversion Remodel

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The remodel on the garage is going great! (I am back dating this post, but we just finished painting the walls, electrician comes today, then floors, trim, and sinks/fixtures).

I am so excited! I couldn’t decide on a paint color; I truly wanted a blue gray, but settled with a warm gray that will blend nicely into the rest of the house. I may actually end up using this color in the living room and dining; I love the color we have, but in winter and in certain light it becomes a really weird color (east/west facing room with big windows on either side).

Anyway, I love the gray we chose. Really, I though I was sick of seeing gray in everyone’s house on Pinterest and the internet … but now I get why it is so popular!

Mudroom Wall Paint {garage conversion}

The pictures do NOT do the color or the room justice. It is so much bigger than it looks in the pictures; I think we are even going to put a breakfast nook/snack table in front of the window for the kids.

We are going with painted trim. I LOVE the color of the trim, and plan to paint the kitchen cabinets the same color… But part of me is mourning the wood trim. I know it isn’t trendy and people hate wood trim, but ours is actually pretty nice and it hides the farm dirt so well! Im worried we are making a mistake by painting it, but what’s done is done … so we shall see.

 

My favorite part of the room? Aside from the extra wide entry stairs and my window (which I begged for) is the pantry! The size and the barn door definitely take the cake!

Yall- look at that thing! IT IS HUGE! The picture doesn’t really show how big it is, but the barn door that slides across it had to be custom built by my husband and our friend (who has been doing the remodel) because it is so wide! They put together 2 barn doors, and husband is having the metal rack built.

In the back of the pantry will be the garage fridge, so we don’t have to have it out in the actual room. We will line the rest of the pantry space with shelves for storing bulk goods-cans, toilet paper, paper towels, appliances, my BIG stock pots and pans.

HUGE walk in pantry and fridge nook

I know my pictures are pretty terrible. Between the lighting and my amateur photography skills, I’m not doing any favors. But, you get the idea.

Custom Built Barn Door

 

Anyway, more pictures to come as the project gets finished up. Next we start on the old laundry room/master bath conversion! It won’t take nearly as long as the garage, but will definitely make a nice difference!

Happy Wednesday!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you!

Replenishing Homemade Skin Cream Recipe {quick & easy}

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In trying to avoid overuse of steroids and other interventions that can cause lasting effects (and be less effective the more we use them),  I have a go-to skin cream we make at home for general wounds.

Eczema Before
It is a salve with coconut oil, bentonite clay, comfrey oil and essentials oils-frankincense, lavender, tea tree. 5+years ago a lady in a natural group helped me make this recipe based off her husband’s recommendation, who was an herbalist. During a case of noro virus, my then 18mo son poopied in his sleep overnight, and I didn’t know it. The next morning his bottom was literally blistered and the skin was peeling. It was horrible!

After applying this cream that morning, the skin started healing and regenerating the same day. Within 2 days he was 85% better; there was new skin covering his entire bottom, no scabbing, no scarring, and even better? When applied in a thick layer it protected his bottom when he had to wear a diaper. (Mostly he laid on me for 3 days, sans diaper, but when he needed to sleep in his bed, which he preferred, or wanted to sit in the floor, he needed a diaper.)

This cream is amazing!

So when I saw my 8yo daughter’s hands this past week, covered in eczema, I knew what we needed to use.

Usually eczema can be traced to the gut-leaky gut to be exact- due to poor gut balance/health. However, in this case I believe it is atopic-too much hand washing, cold, dry air, and not enough moisturizing.

We are going to use homeopathy constitutions based on her particular eczema, and this cream, in hopes it will heal from the inside out, and stay gone for good. Steroid creams and prescriptions don’t work on the root cause of eczema, they sometimes quiet the symptoms without addressing the root cause of the illness/ailment to begin with.

Here is what you need to mix up for the cream:

  1. 1 cup organic coconut oil
  2. .5 cup bentonite clay
  3. 2tsp of comfrey oil
  4. 10-15 drops each: frankincense oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil (I use Young Living)
  5. Whip it up in an electric mixer for a thicker, creamier consistency. But mixing with a spatula will do, too. Store in an airtight container. That’s it!

We use this for cuts, scrapes, diaper rash, and other minor skin uh-ohs. I usually keep it in the toddler’s dresser basket, since she needs it the most! haha

I also love Young Living’s Animal Scents cream. We use this for everything, too. When we travel I throw this in my bag, and keep my homemade stuff at home. I do not sell oils from my personal stash at retail cost(plus tax and shipping), but you can sign up to receive your oils at a 24% discount, including discounted shipping, with no monthly obligation. (I do place monthly orders for our family, because I like to save my points for bigger purchases at the end of the year, but you do NOT have to do a monthly order to get the discount.)

 

I you have dry, cracked skin this winter, try this homemade skin cream! (and come back to let me know how it worked for you.)

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