Homemade Body Butter

I've had a few people ask me for the recipe for the homemade lotion I made the other day. It is a little different than my sisters, found here. (I suggest you read my sisters blog faithfully. She is an amazing blogger and the content is even better.) I don't know how to compare it because I haven't tried her recipe. Maybe I should do that. Also she has a recipe for lotion bars if you prefer.

Homemade Body Butter

1/2 C Almond or Grapeseed oil
1/4 C Coconut oil
1/4 C Beeswax
2 TBLS Shea butter or Cocoa Butter

Put all of the ingredients into a mason jar. (I used an old pickle jar) 
Put the jar into a few inches of water in a pot on the stove.
Place the lid on loosely
Bring to a light boil and let everything in the jar melt. Stir occasionally to help everything melt.

Once everything is melted you can keep it in that jar or transfer the liquid to other glass jars you might be storing it in. I actually used plastic containers so I had to just keep the liquid in the original pickle jar until it cooled and solidified. I put it in the fridge to help the cooling process.

Then once cooled, just add your oils.

This recipe will make about 6-8 oz of solidified lotion. I tripled mine.








Some of the oils you can smell over the Shea butter. Some you cant. Lavender and Lime, I could, wild orange not so much. So you can keep the oils out and just add it when you are putting on as a carrier lotion if you prefer.
It's greasy at first but absorbs quickly. I really like it and have thrown out all my other lotions. It's definitely different but I've come to really like it. My skin feels softer and I apply lotion less often. Oh and a little goes a long way.

 Little by little I'm getting rid of products that have ingredients I don't like, or more likely don't know what they are. Seems a little crazy. I realized, after months of kicking against this idea of homemade beauty and cleaning products, that it really does matter what we put on our bodies. Just as much as what we put in them. Oh and the real quicker (kicker, I don't know why I spelled it that way), even what we inhale. Ugh.

I have struggled for year with acid reflux. I started using doTERRA's digestzen to try and treat it. However at first I couldn't swallow it because my throat was so eroded and sore that it hurt going down because of a few of the hot oils in it. So I tried rubbing a drop on the outside of my throat when it was acting up. And wouldn't you know it, the burn cooled right down. Within a minute. And it hit me that if this oil, absorbed that quickly into the inside of my body to do its magic, then everything I put on my body was going to be absorbed this way. Things that I would never eat, or put into my body. So slowly I have been trying to change what we use to clean with, and what I put on my body. It's going to be a process, but better late than never.

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Beautiful...It deserves its own post.

Everyone loves a good video

Annoying the cat...A favorite past time

These road blocks are not working anymore. It's kind of hard to see, but you get the idea. It's cute watching the little body wiggle. 

Stuff

 A hodgepodge of pictures, A picture journal, if you will. Oh because I finally have a good decent camera phone.

V got his first haircut. 4/9/2013. Brandi, Josh's cousin does amazing work. He is too cute for words.

 

 We went to the zoo. Vincent wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be seeing. But he loved to watch all the people and play with the fences in front of him. Isn't that what you are supposed to do at the zoo? He did actually focus in on the giraffes and giggled at them. Otherwise it was just a big world with lots of people and fences to play with. Oh and do you remember the lion water fountain as fondly as I do?

We also took a trip to Blackfoot to see our good friend Sylinda Lee who moved home recently. We had a blast playing with her cute nephew Treyson. We left a little early because Vincent was feeling so sick. I wish I would have got pictures of Sylinda and her sweet parents. It could not have been a more welcoming home. I want to move in with "Grandma and Grandpa" Lee too. How about it Syl?

 And here is the poor fella trying to get comfy while watching TV. He's been sick for a couple weeks now and I am starting to worry just a tad. Might be time to visit the Dr. to see if he has some sort of infection. I mean he's been sick before, but this has been ridiculous. I am so tired of snot. Really really tired. I just keep thinking this can only strengthen that little immune system of his. It's a good thing.

 Here, we are playing, "put it in a bowl." A game I made up for lack of toys that have the same concept. Vincents toy box is full of papers, and combs, and old wrappers and even diapers.( unused, although we had incident the other day. A messy messy incident) These are his favorite toys, so why'm I gonna buy him expensive toys when he'd rather play with an old wipes dispenser? I think he's a smart boy. He understood the concept and would throw a toy in the bowl, but in the end, just wanted to play with the bowl.

And of course, he is really up to no good lately. Getting into everything. He is still not crawling in a traditional sense. He'll get on his hands and knees and rock, but in the end reverts back to his army crawl. And he can seriously get around that way, and quick. He has started climbing stairs a little though. And can pull himself up onto things no higher than 6 inches. With a little help of getting him on his knees and balancing he can pull himself up onto higher things like the couch. But still isn't quite comfortable balancing on his knees yet. Come to think of it, why am I trying to help him with that at all? I really don't want him up a level higher because then I have to baby proof all over again.

These last couple of months have been a joy. Minus the sick part. He is learning and growing faster than I can blink. I get down on myself a lot for not recording every little thing I notice him learning or doing. But I think I'll be grateful all the same for what I am able to record. And I hope he'll be grateful for it too. I love this little man. And doesn't he really look like a miniature 2 year old? I can't even call him a baby anymore, because I just don't think he looks like one. I both love and hate that.

Month 7 and Stuff

Newborn 5 lbs 15oz

7 1/2 months 16 lbs 9 oz

I just really can't believe how fast time is going. Three days ago marked Vincents 8 months of life on earth. And I just can hardly believe how he's grown. As of now, he's still not quite crawling, but he's close. Last week I was talking to my sister and practically cut her off, No, I did cut her off, because I looked over and saw him up on his knees rocking back and forth. That was a first. Since then he's done it a couple of times but he's still not sure what to do about it. 

A funny moment we had the other day. He was behind the couch laughing, almost hysterically. So I went to see what had him giggling. He was trying to pet the cat, who was trying to bask in the sunlight. You could tell she wanted to stand her ground and make that kid go away. She started smacking him across the face, and yes, she is de-clawed. Well, this would only make him laugh...harder. Talk about insult to injury. Not only did he have the nerve to bug her while she was resting, but laughed in her face when she tried to put him, in his place. She eventually wised up and got up and moved. I wished I had a camera handy at that moment.

Yesterday he received his 6 month shots. Whoops. Just two months late. He was a champ though. It was not nearly as traumatic as it has been in the past. After his afternoon nap he was crying (the I don't feel good kind of cry) and shivering. That's the first time he's shown any adverse effects from the vaccinations. He seems to feel a bit better today. He weighs in at almost 17 lbs. A little underweight for his height, but nothing too concerning. I wish I was a little underweight. Just a little.

He still isn't drinking much formula. He just really doesn't like it. So I am trying to figure out how to make sure he's getting not only enough water, but proper nutrients and proper calorie and fat intake. His Dr didn't seem to be too concerned. Out of all the things he could have found concerning, it was the fact that I give him coconut oil instead of canola oil. I was a bit perplexed by that. But just told him I whole heatedly disagreed with him and that's that.  He will still drink formula at 10 pm and 6am. But during the day I'm lucky if he drinks 3 oz. Oh well, I hate formula and feel I can figure out how to get him what he needs with much better foods anyway. I hope.

Little milestones 9 wks to present

Here are random things I wrote down on scratch pieces of paper throughout the last few months. This post is random and fragmented and probably a grammatical mess. But I don't really care. It's mostly for me to remember. Besides maybe my parents, I can't think of anyone who will really be all that interested in reading this. Ha. And maybe not even them.

10/26/12 First solids, if you can call pureed carrots a solid. Loved them, seemed happy to try a new taste.

October was also when he fell in love with Yo gabba gabba. He watches less now that he can entertain himself, which I prefer. Well I prefer when I am playing with him. And he prefers that as well. Which is why I prefer it. How many more times can I say the word prefer?

10/23/12 First time I tried the cry it out method. He cried for an hour straight. 2:15am to 3.15am. This lasted just one night. I never felt it was quite right for Vincent and I. We since tried it again. Just a few weeks ago. For just two nights. Then we stopped for various reason. However last night he slept through the night. From 11pm to 7am. No binki insert even. This has only happened a handful of times. So I'm hoping it will continue. I attribute this new sleep pattern to the Lavender essential oils I have been defusing. But that's another subject for another time. Visit mylampisfull.blogspot.com for my sisters wonderful blog on her essential oil dealings in daily life.

11/2/12 I put the binki in front of his face and he grabbed it from me and put it in his mouth

11/4/12 Turned from back to tummy for the 1st time

11/8/12 Turned from front to back for the 1st time
as of 11/13 hasn't done either of them again

Mid November was the first time I really heard him laugh. He giggled and giggled. 

First cold was at 18 weeks/4months

Mid December starting to roll from front to back consistently.

1st week in December- seems to know the words Ba and Papa and what they mean.

First Christmas presents- Talking puppy (from G&G Ferre) Walker, laptop, noise making monkey ring that we hate, cell phone.

Late December he started switching things from hand to hand.

1/7/13 sat for 4 seconds alone

Mid January, when we were in Oklahoma, he started sitting for extended periods of time. To this day he can do it, just chooses not to very often.

First airplane ride 1/19/13 This was kind of a nightmare for me. By the plane ride home though, I felt like an old pro at traveling with infants alone. 

Late January finally started to straighten is legs and stand on them. He could do this at an early age but this is another thing he chose not to do. Now he will stand all the time.

Also Late January marks the time when he would much prefer to eat food than drink his smelly formula. And who can blame him. Fresh avocado or pureed coconut oil, lime and pear, to name a few. He wasn't able to enjoy much of natures first and best food and had to be on formula. But he does enjoy the best I can offer him when it comes to his "solids" And he sure does enjoy them. But that again, is a whole other blog for a whole other time.

Late January, also started to spend more time on his tummy. Up until this point he really hated being on his stomach.

Which leads to early February he started inching forward just a little.

Late February he is scootching along and getting into everything. He will be crawling any day now which I'm not really hoping for. I'm good where he is at.

Something about the 7 month mark has been magical. He is so fun to be with. He is so interactive with me. We even have some inside jokes. He's mobile without being too mobile. His personality is so fun. He smiles all the time. He is a very social creature. He loves meeting and seeing anyone and everyone. Will lock eyes with them and just smile and laugh. When we were going to Oklahoma, we were on a layover. I was exhausted and just wanted to sit down and not think. But Vincent would lock eyes with everyone he could. So people would want to talk to me about him and comment to me about how cute he is. Which is all fine and great, but I really just wanted to be left alone. And it's still like that at the grocery store. Anywhere we go, he will try to get peoples attention and then I am stuck talking to people I really don't have the energy to talk to. He is much more social than either of his parents I think. I hope he stays that way.

Again, he's finally in a good sleep pattern. Sleeping mostly 8 hour blocks. He takes 2, 2 hour naps daily. Prior he was taking little cat naps all day long which was really annoying. He sleeps for 11-12 hour at night. We are in a good rhythm. Like I said, it's just the best. I love his age now and am really trying to take it all in and remember the glorious 7th month.

That is all for now. 

Giggles

 

The first one should be a cute little video of Josh making Vincent laugh. The second is the same video but Josh style. It's pretty funny.

*Just tried to watch these and the volume doesn't work. At least not on mine. I'll try and figure it out.