diy sunburn relief spray {using essential oils}

So this past weekend was GORGEOUS in Kansas City.

And luckily there were lots of wonderful events to do outside.

However, this usually means one thing for a redhead like me.

Sunburn.

We went to a Kite Festival, where hundreds of kites were flying.

It was so much fun and beautiful weather.

I loved being barefoot in the grass, flying a kite. 

Can't get much better than that.

I put on sunscreen like crazy.

But...

I missed a spot.

On the back of my left arm.

And boy did it get red.

So this weekend I applied my usual aloe vera to it, but then decided to experiment with some other ingredients and came up with this wonderful Sunburn Relief Spray.

It's fantastic!

It soothes, heals and cools!

It has 4 ingredients:

aloe vera

Aloe Vera helps with sunburn through its powerful healing activity at the epithelial level of the skin, a layer of cells that cover the body. It acts as a protective layer on the skin and helps replenish its moisture. Because of its nutritional qualities and antioxidant properties, the skin heals quicker.

{from here}

witch hazel

Healing damaged skin is one of witch hazel's specialties. But as sunburn is also a type of skin inflammation, witch hazel is ideal for treating this too (despite swelling not being obvious). Treating sunburn with witch hazel will lessen healing time and prevent the infamous skin peeling and flaking.

{from here}

lavender oil

Did you know that Lavender has tissue regeneration and healing properties that quickly relieve sunburn? Yes, lavender also reduces scarring and minimizes pain associated with sunburn!

{from here}

peppermint oil

Peppermint oil has incredibly cooling properties to it. When the heat of a fresh sunburn is bothering you, the peppermint oil will help cool the skin down and bring relief.

This concoction worked wonderfully for me. It helped me sleep with minimal stinging and heat. The next morning it was noticably lighter in color and not nearly as painful.

And it was fantastic because I already had all these ingredients at home! I now leave it in our medicine cabinet ready in case of another burn.

Let me know if you try it or have another sunburn relief to share!

75 Toddler Easter Basket Ideas

My most popular post thus far has been last year's 50 Toddler Easter Basket Ideas.

So this year, I obviously had to up it!

Here are some ideas:

Classics

* Stuffed Bunny or Chick

* Easter- themed books (see list below)

* Bible (The Jesus Storybook Bible is highly recommended)

* Chocolate Bunny

*Preschool Devotional

* Toddler Snacks (gold fish, fruit snacks, puffs, etc.)

Summer Fun

* Swimsuit

* Sunglasses

* Beach towel

* Water wings

* Pool toy

* Sand bucket and shovel

*Inflatable swimming pool

*Sprinkler

*Bubbles

* Sidewalk chalk

* Kite

* Water/ Sand Table

* Lawn chair

* Tent

*Tunnel

*Gardening Supplies

Educational

*Puzzles

*Links

*Tobbles

*Magnetix

*CD's (Hidden in my Heart lullabies, Songs for Saplings, etc.)

*Games for Tablet (leap pad, innotab, etc.)

* Misc. board books

* Educational DVDs

Artsy 

* Color Wonder marker set

*Coloring book

*Do a Dot Markers

*Art kits

* Crayons

* "My First Paint Set"

* Construction Paper

* Stickers

* Apron

*Play dough

*Play dough stamps 

Necessities

* Sippy Cups

*Plates

*Bowls

*Utensils

*Disposable dining mats

* Bibs

*Socks

* PJs

* Summer clothes

* Shoes

* Easter outfit

* Shampoo/Lotion

* Girl accessories (hair bows, etc.)

Fun

*Mega Bloks

* Bath toys

* Small instruments

* Little People

* Play food

* Mr. Potato Head

* Small cars

* Slinky

* Stuffed animal

* Doll

Experience

* Tickets to the Zoo

* Membership to Gymboree

* Tickets to local children's museum

*Tickets to baseball game

Books

"What is Easter?"

"The Berenstein Bears and the Easter Story"

"Pat the Bunny"

"The Pout Pout Fish"

Movies

*Disney (Frozen, Toys Story, etc.)

* Favorite TV show on DVD (Thomas, Sesame Street, Etc.)

*Veggie Tales

HAPPY EASTER!!!

motherhood: a reflection on the first two years

Life has been busy.

And this blog has been neglected. 

Sorry friends.

I thought, now that I've been a mama for a whopping two years, I'd give a check in on how things are going!

milestones

Levi is 2!

He is running, climbing, jumping, skateboarding, and tricycling

He has a HUGE vocabulary and is now putting together sentences

He can identify shapes, colors, some letters and can count

He is now in a big boy bed (sniff sniff)

He is now in the 30% for height and 24% for weight!!!! This is HUGE for us!!!!

feeding

Levi is the typical toddler. He'd rather play than eat.

He's not overly picky, which is fabulous.

He would love to have a diet consisting of chocolate milk, cookies and candy though (don't we all?!)

cloth diapering

2 years and still going!

We did have to switch to disposies overnight. The wet cloth on his skin for an extended time was causing rashes. Switching to overnight disposables cleared it up. 

Hoping to start potty training this summer when mommy and daddy are home!

work

I've still been blessed to teach part-time in the afternoons. I've loved our leisurely mornings together. This is when we do preschool time, play outside, prep for dinner or just watch a movie : )

what we love

being outside (I think we are going to basically live outside til October)

movies (this kid LOVES movies)

stuffed animals (he loves to play with them, make them walk, feed them, etc.)

toys (duh...what toddler doesn't love toys!)

random thoughts

so....infancy is exhausting. The whole living life in 3 hour chunks is brutal.

Now that we are in toddlerhood, we sleep through the night (hallelujah!), but it is a whole different kind of exhausting.

My house is never picked up. Not that I don't try. Just as soon as everything is in it's place, Levi dumps his bowl full of cheerios on the floor and jumps on them. Then pulls out every sippy cup we own. Then takes all the towels out of the cabinet. You get the picture.

I love seeing his little personality emerge. I love talking with him and starting to see what goes on in that little noggin of his.

I love seeing him interact with others. Playing with his friends. Telling his family he loves them. Love it.

Motherhood requires a sense of humor. Otherwise you'll go insane.

Find Mommy friends. Luckily, my best friend has a son a few months younger than Levi. Together we can vent, laugh, cry and "get" each other. This motherhood stuff is tough but SO amazing.

DIY Sesame Street Birthday Party {on a budget}

Levi is 2!

I can hardly believe it!

And so far....2 has been absolutely terrific.

I LOVE this age!

We celebrated Levi's birthday with a Sesame Street birthday party.

With a very low budget, we were able to pull off a cute and fun party for Levi, family and friends!

Here's some pics with a few tips to keep costs low!

We used our church to hold the party.

Our home is small and we had about 25 people invited.

This cost us nothing to use (just had to clean up!)

and allowed us access to a full kitchen and gym for the kids to play in

No need to feed a full meal!

A few snacks that are toddler friendly, something sweet and a drink is plenty!

And we skipped the ice cream...just another mess and expense!

Check Dollar Tree and Target's Dollar Spot for favors!

{and favors are totally optional too!}

We included a Sesame Street cup and an Elmo book with included CD.

Each goody bag was $2 each!

 and a few extra pics of the day

Levi thoroughly enjoyed his party and our whole family just got to have fun and celebrate together.

It was a perfect way to celebrate our big 2 year old boy!

the truth in yoga pants

                       

"Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of your hair and the putting on of gold jewlery, or the clothing you wear- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:3-4

My best friend and I have started a new ministry in our church. It is called WISE women (women in support of each other). It is based upon the passage of Titus 2 and is intended to encourage each woman wherever she is in life.

And let me tell you, we are a diverse group!

We have grandmothers, moms of preschoolers, new married women, single moms, single ladies. Large families, small families. We also have a group of homeless, pregnant teen moms who join us.

I love this group of women.

But today, as I was planning the detalls for our study tonight, I was convicted about something.

It starts with what I'm wearing.

Now, let me first start with me. Whenever I imagine a women in a ministry leadership role, I always imagine a suburban stay-at-home mom with a beautiful, organized home who looks like she walked out of a J. Crew catalog. She has a perfect walk with The Lord. She makes it all look easy.

So naturally, I have tried to be that.

But BOY am I not!!!

What is ironic is that my BIGGEST concern in our group is that we be real with one another.

I have long been intidimated by said "women in ministry". How does she have the perfect family, perfect outfit, perfect everything!

I can barely take a shower and pull my hair back and change out of yoga pants!

It hit me today. 

Women need to see each other in their yoga pants.

They need to see, that even women with a heart to minister others are REAL.

We struggle to keep cheerios off our floors.

We get flustered at bed time when little ones wont cooperate.

We feel like a glamorous move star if we happen to put eye shadow on for the day!

So as much as I'd love to be Mrs. J. Crew Mama...I'm not. And neither are you.

I'm Jenny. I love The Lord, my family and my home. My hair is always in a bun because I don't take the extra 5 minutes to blow dry it. I struggle with keeping up with laundry. I'd prefer to eat out then cook any day. I hate sticking to a budget, but I do it. My house is usually a disaster.

And tonight, to bible study, I'm wearing my yoga pants.

adding a second bathroom

                        

This post is long overdue.

Better late than never, right?

Last summer Mr. Free added a second bathroom to our home.

And it's been about as life-changing as a bathroom can be.

Let's back up.

When we bought our home, it had 900 sq feet upstairs and an unfinished basement that was the same size.

We saved and saved and finally were able to finish half of it to make a generous family room.

Mr. Free did all the work himself, and right before Levi was born it was complete.

          

This is the most used room in our house. It is spacious and cozy and we love it.

Then, as Mr. Levi grew and gained more toys and fun things, we decided to convert our unfinished storage space into a make-shift playroom for him.

          

I love that the space is right off the family room. Levi can play and play and we can simple close the door afterwards if its not in perfect condition.

The only thing missing downstairs?

A bathroom.

So after more saving, Mr. Free got to work.

We first had to move our washer and dryer and then add in plumbing for a sink, toilet and shower.

We are fortunate to have friends in the construction business who were able to help with insight on layout and installing the plumbing.

         

So it was a mess to move the washer/dryer, hot water heater and adding the plumbing.

                              

But soon it was framed out and drywall was going up.

We had decided to make a little closet for the utilities, a toilet alcove, corner shower and sink.

                            

                            

My favorite part (of course) is picking out fixtures and finishings.

We had decided to keep with oil rubbed bronze fixtures, gray paint, white trim and espresso cabinetry.

Simple and modern.

So with the magic of internet, our bathroom quickly took shape.

                               

                               

                                

                                

We spent roughly $2500 start to finish and can say its been well worth it. We know it has also added value to our home.

Here's a breakdown:

Vanity- Lowes

Toilet- Lowes

Fixtures- Lowes

Shower base- Lowes

Tile- already had

Ceiling tiles- Lowes

Corner shower curtain rod- hospitaltracks.com

Shower curtain- Target

Mirror- Homegoods

Light fixtures- Lowes

Rug- Homegoods

My favorite part? 

The shower curtain system.

We wracked our brains to figure this out.

To make a glass enclosure would be $$$.

We looked at corner rods but they were pricey too and had something we wouldn't like about it.

Finally it hit me! What about a hospital track? And thats what we did. It turned out perfect and was a fraction of the price.

I am so thankful Mr. Free is handy and that we could afford to add such a great assett to our little home!

natural homemade disinfectant

'Tis the Season.

Not just the Holiday Season, but Cold & Flu Season.

Blech.

Ever since Thanksgiving, everything has been going around in our little corner of the world.

The flu, stomach flu, strep throat, upper respiratory viruses, etc.

So this year, instead of running off to the store to by some Lysol and spraying down every surface in our home, I decided to research some natural alternatives.

I perused the internet and saw all sorts of recipes, so I kind of combined some using items I own. 

This is a pretty basic recipe and you can obviously play around and find what works for you and with smells you like.

For your reading pleasure, you can read about the dangers of commercial spray disinfectant sprays here.

And you can read about the many benefits of vinegar, tea tree oil and citrus oils.

I picked up some spray bottles and labels at Target (love that dollar spot!)

And here is the recipe!

The tea tree oil and sweet orange oil smells so nice together!

And if you happen to eat any citrus, I always just peel it and put some of the peels into my disinfectant and all purpose cleaner bottles.

Adds a great fresh citrus scent!

 I've used this recipe for a few weeks now, spraying it on all the germy surfaces

(door knows, light switches, tables, counter tops, toys, etc.) and the benefit is it makes my house smell great too! Plus is so cheap to make!

I've been diving into the world of essential oils and all-natural body & home care products. I will share more recipes and tips as I find and use them!

Do you have a favorite essential oil or all natural recipe? Please comment and share!

The ULTIMATE List of Toddler Stocking Stuffers

                        

TOYS

Play Dough

Finger Puppets

Masks

Little People

Small Doll

Bubbles

Blocks

Bath Toys

Bath Crayons

Egg Shakers

Toy Balls

Matchbox Cars

Slinky

ENTERTAINMENT

Books

DVDs

CDs

Tickets to Local Event

ART SUPPLIES

Markers

Do A Dot Markers

Coloring Book

Crayons

Paintbrushes

Washable Paints

Art Smock

Stickers

PRACTICAL

Sippy cups

Utensils

Bibs

Fill Yourself Food Pouches

Bowls

Plates

Snack cups 

Stickers

Washcloths

Cloth Wipes

Bath Soap

Lotion

CLOTHING

Socks

Slippers

Scarves

Hats

Mittens

Tights

Leggings

Headbands

Festive cloth diaper

Play Jewelry

Play Purse

FOOD

Applesauce Pouches

Goldfish

Granola Bars

Dried fruit packets

Apple

Orange

Do you have anything you'd add to the list?

Family Blessings Tree

                        

This November our little family was blessed with an empty calendar and a heart to make this season intentional.

Though Levi is still little, he is grasping concepts and the world around him at a crazy pace.

So this November, each morning I would ask Levi what he was thankful for.

Out of construction paper I simply cut out a brown trunk and some leaves out of yellow, red and orange paper.

                                

Hearing what Levi was thankful for made me smile each morning. His little personality shone through. Like being thankful for "Baby Bear" and "Elmo".

Mr. Free and I also contributed when we remembered.

The tree has been up on a door in our dining room and it has been a blessing to see it each day and be reminded of just how good God has been to us.

                                      

I've really enjoyed doing this activity with Levi and I think it's helped put our hearts in a great place to begin advent. I pray that my son can grow with a heart of gratitude.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of quality time with the ones you love.

DIY magnetic train board

                          

Levi is currently LOVING playing with his "toot toot". (Thats what he calls his train set he got last year).

I love seeing him creatively play with it. It is adorable.

The one thing I don't like? How the pieces come apart and he screams in frustration because he's not quite old enough to piece the track together. Frustration for all.

I love the many train tables that are available for kids, but they are pretty pricey and take up a LOT of room. Room we don't have. Plus, I don't know how long he will be in his "toot toot" phase.

So I had seeen on Pinterest ideas for train boards. Basically taking plywood, painting it and then screwing the train tracks onto the board. The great part? It can just slide under the couch for storage.

The part I didn't like? The fact Levi wouldn't be able to move the tracks and items around when he gets a bit older.

I had also seen on Pinterest the idea of buying a giant Oil Drip Pan from the automotive section at Wal Mart and using it as a magnet board.

So I just merged the ideas together!

So here's how I did it;

                     

You can buy the drip pan for around $12 at WalMart. An amazing price considering its size,

Layout your train set and make sure it will fit the way youd like it to be set up.

                    

I then hot glued magnets to the bottom of the tracks.

No, it isn't a permanent way to keep the tracks together, but it does help and I want Levi to be able to recongifure it (rumor on the street is his grandma is getting him some more train pieces...)

                    

So I hot glued magnets on all the pieces and also numbered them in the order of putting the set together. I don't know why I didn't do that sooner....makes it MUCH MUCH easier!

                   

I then took all the pieces off and spray painted the drip pan a fun green.

I wanted it green to look like grass, but not a dark green. I wanted it fun and cheery.

Here is the spray paint I used

                    

It was like $4 at Wal Mart.

My next step was making accessories for his landscape.

I used some odds and ends I had in my craft stash.

I took blue foam and cut the shape of lakes and ponds, then hot glued magnets to the back.

I also cut out bushes from green foam and stiff felt. Attached magnets and glued some colorful buttons on a few to look like flowers.

                       

It was still missing something.

So I headed to Hobby Lobby to find some buildings and trees to add some dimension.

I forgot to take a picture, but I got 2 already painted trees. A 6 pack of wooden unpainted pine trees I painted and a 4 pack of unpainted wood houses I painted as well.

                      

I hot glued the trees and houses to some foam and then hot glued magnets to the foam.

They stood up! I was a little nervous about that!

                        

I think it looks much better with the trees and houses. And I know Levi will love arranging them!

                            

The hard part is going to be waiting til Christmas to give to him! It's hidden under our couch until Santa brings it to him next month.

I can't wait!!!