Ah Honey~Honey!

    

     Ok, so first of all I just want to remind you that, by no means,  have I got this all together.  The purpose of this blog is, well to write about all the nifty (yes, I said nifty) things I find.  See, I'm new to all this natural, home remedies, cleaning products, etc., and I'm really enjoying trying new things and sharing it with you.

     I search many sites when I'm excited about something, and boy, some of these gals on the other sites are ON IT!   My humble, little blog is just my journey into a new way of life.  It's all baby steps....or for me...dizzy steps. 

     Also, if you haven't noticed...my attention span is iddy~biddy...so usually when I post stuff it's right to the point.  You and I both don't have time to read a book before getting to the "meat" of it.  If you want all the scientific or long list of facts...check with Google or Wickapedialite~orsomethinor~other.com!  That's my new word, you like?

    OH HONEY!!! 
    That's my topic...don't wear it out!  <<wink>>

     You can wash your face with it, condition your hair with it...um...take a bath in it...or if your crazy enough...eat it. 

     I spent a couple of days roaming sites (boy is my right clicking finger sore)  regarding honey and beauty recipes you can make.  Many have very similar ideas, but these are my favorite recipes.  So here we go...are you buckled up buttercup?  Don't trip, chocolate chip... (don't mind me)

Honey fun facts:

• Honey has ANTIBACTERIAL properties.  It can be used on minor cuts and scrapes.
• It's a good source of ANTIOXIDANTS
• It's an immune booster.  Helps reduce allergies
• Honey is a humectant.  It attracts and retains moisture.
• Can be used on acne scars or pimples

Let's start with Hair! 
     Note...I read many times that HONEY is a natural peroxide of sorts.  It can cause your hair color to lighten.  One gal reported that she had black hair...and after many times of using honey to condition it..it's now a dark brown.  So beware. (dum-dum-duuuum)  I recommend testing a small area underneath first.  But if you are a natural blonde like me (hec-hem) I wouldn't worry about it. 

     I tried this recipe...Love'd it!!! 

Honey Hair Conditioning Treatment:
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

 

 

I doubled this recipe, and put it in an empty agave nectar bottle.  What you will find is that the oil and honey want to stay separated. NO GOOD...so before use, shake the bottle well.  Again, this is where you do your little dizzy jig! I don't judge.  <<wink>>

     *Start at the ends, working your way up towards the roots.  Working it in.  Cover with a cap or plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes. (have nothing to do in that 30 minutes...call me! ) Then, Shampoo out.

    
Dizzy~Cleopatra:
1/4       Cup honey  
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Add to your bath...and soak away all your iddy biddy troubles! 

    I called this recipe...dizzy~Cleopatra because all these other bloggers have much to say about her and her beauty tricks.  So...I thought I'd jump on that bandwagon. (Cuz that's how I roll.  Get it...roll?)   Who knows, she could very well be the first dizzy biddy. <<wink>>   Now she used milk instead...but for my recipe I added the oil. (No coconuts were harmed in the making of this recipe)   
 

Honey Body Wash: (This recipe was also added to the body scrubs post)
1 Cup    Light Olive oil
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Liquid hand soap (You can use whatevah you  
              like...all I had on "hand" was this vanilla Dial)
1 Tbsp  Vanilla Extract

 

 

     Notice that the ingredients want to stay separated...shake well before use.  You can buy a travel size shampoo container or reuse an empty dish soap container and keep this in your shower. Um...I think yes!

 

 

Wash your face with Honey??  What?
     Last, but not least, try washing your face with honey.  Here's what I read about this.  To get the full benefit, again, you need to use RAW honey.  Not Pasteurized. 

     FIRST, you must wash off all of your make-up. Honey does not remove make up.  Upon reading what crunchybetty.com has to say...she also challenged peeps to wash their face with honey, at least once a day for 2 weeks.  I'm thinking right at bedtime will be ideal.  Starting that challenge this weekend.  Can't wait.

What to do...
   After removing all make up, pour a dime size of honey on your finger tips, then rub your fingers together.  This warms up the honey a bit.  Then massage the honey all over your face for about 30 sec...covering well.  Let sit on your face for about 2 minutes, then rinse.  There you go!!

       **************************************************

Coffee, Cocoa & Honey Facial Mask: (crunchy betty)
2 Tbsp freshly Ground Coffee.  Can use the grounds you just
   brewed your morning cup with!
2 Tbsp Raw Cocoa Powder
3 Tbsp Milk (whichever kind you like)
1 Tbsp Honey

     Mix together in a bowl and apply to a freshly washed face.  Leave on your dizzy face for 20 minutes, then rinse. 
 ~You're beautiful!!  (Anyone ever tell you that?  Well you are!)

       ***************************************************

    There you have it honey!  Just a sweet taste of many ways to use this gem!  I hope you try it...and if you do, let me know how you like it.  I want to hear from you and different ways you use honey! 

God bless and stay dizzy!!
~db

Body Scrubs

      I wish I would have tried making these a long time ago.  My hands have never been softer.  Oh and the smells...this blog will not do it justice. 

      I've been in the kitchen this morning for 4 hours...playing with food.  You don't hear that very much do ya?  Nonetheless...it was so much fun and I walked away from my play time with 3 body scrubs and 1 hands & Feet scrub.  But don't you worry little biddy...I have a couple more recipes I want to try.  

     I searched many websites and blogs learning the basics of what goes into a homemade scrub. Finding out that some require refrigeration and the shelf life vary from each scrub from 3 to 12 months.   So there are some key points that I will post with each recipe.  What you can trust is that each one of these recipes are original.  I took what I found online and created my own. 


     So lets get started!


Scrub #1

Oatmeal ~ Brown Sugar Body Scrub

1/4 Cup  Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Sea Salt
2 Tbsp  Yardley Oatmeal & Almond Bath Bar (finely grated) OR
           dizzy's Oatmeal Milk & Honey Soap
2 Tbsp   Burt's Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil or Almond Oil

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and grated bath bar.  Then add the Burt's Bees oil.  Shelf life is approx. 6 months.

Scrub #2

Honey ~ Almond Hands & Feet

1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Fine Sea Salt

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp.  Burt's Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil OR Sweet Almond Oil

1 Tbsp   Water

In a small bowl, combine sugar and salt.  Then, add honey.  This will take some mixing.  The honey does not easily stir...you kind of want to use a mix and chop technique.  (that was an official dizzy biddy term.)  Last add the body oil.

This scrub is slightly more abrasive...but is great to exfoliate.  You can try this as a body scrub...but be careful biddy's!  If you have sensitive skin...keep this for your hands and feet only. 

Shelf life is between 6-12 months.

 

Scrub #3

Mocha Latte ~

1 Tbsp  Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/4 Cup  Coffee Grounds

1/4 Cup  Fine Sea Salt

1/4 Cup  Sunflower Oil  (I found this at Trader Joes) OR Coconut Oil

In a small bowl, combine coffee grounds, sea salt and cocoa powder.  Then mix in the sunflower oil.  So easy. 

Shelf life is for this is only 2-3 weeks.  Keep an dizzy eye on it.

Scrub #4

Gentle Lavender ~ Sugar Scrub

1/4 Cup  Yardley English Lavender Bath Bar (finely grated) OR dizzy's       
             Lavender soap

1/2 Cup  White granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup  Sea Salt

1   Tbsp Dried Lavender Leaves

1/4 Cup  Sunflower Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, or Coconut Oil (melted)

In a small bowl, combine grated Lavender bar, sugar, and lavender leaves.  Then mix in the sunflower oil.  This smell heavenly!!

Shelf life is 12 months, but store in a dry, cool place.





    

Scrub #5

Vanilla ~ Mint Body Scrub

1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Fine Sea Salt

1 Tbsp   Brown Sugar

1 Tsp     Vanilla Extract

1/2 Tsp  Mint Extract

1/4 Cup   Sunflower, Coconut or Almond Oil

**Updated 5/10  After making the initial recipe, I added a bit more oil.  The first recipe was too dry.  The above recipe reflects the change.  But if you want more oil..add it.  This is just a basic recipe. 

     In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt and brown sugar.  Then add the extracts and oil.

Shelf life is approx. 12 months if stored in a dry cool place.

Other Scrub scents:

Chamomile~Lemongrass~Rosemary.  

Using chamomile tea and ground dried rosemary. Also add 3-4 drops of lemongrass essential oil.  Follow the same recipe as the Lavender scrub!  Love this one!!

Honey Body Wash: (This recipe was also added to the Honey Post)

1 Cup Light Olive oil
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Liquid hand soap (I prefer unscented, natural)
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

You can buy a travel size shampoo container or reuse an empty dish soap container and keep this in your shower. Um...I think yes!

                *******************************************

So there you go!  Soft, vibrant, beautiful skin awaits you!!

     Here are the basics I read about making your own body scrubs:

1- Exfoliant

   Salt, Sugar, ground coffee, oatmeal, almond meal.

   Salt and sugars have a longer shelf life

   Oatmeal scrubs using raw ground oatmeal, needs to be refrigerated.

   When using sugar, you want to you 2x's more sugar than oil, otherwise the

   sugar will begin to dissolve rapidly.   Then you have Mush!! 

2 - Carrier Oil - Base Oil

    Sunflower Oil (a lighter oil), Coconut oil, Almond oil (found in Burt's Bees 

    Body Oil), Jojoba Oil (absorbs quickly)

3 - Fragrance - Essential Oils

    In the above recipes I didn't use any essential oils because the other items have enough scent for me.  Although the next recipe I want to try is raw oatmeal with essential oil.  That recipe coming soon.

     Avoid "fragrance oils"  they are synthetic.

So there you have it!!  A product of my madness. You're welcome.

God bless!!

~db

Dry Biddy Hands!!

     Winter is here, along with dry hair and skin.  Now is the time to get that coconut oil out.  In a previous post I explained the benefits of using coconut oil for your hair.  About this time of year, my skin starts to suffer too.   I just keep that jar sitting on my bathroom counter.  

     So here's a tip for dry skin.  For best results use immediately after your "hopefully" daily shower  I won't judge you young mom's out there....I feel your dizzy pain.  :)      

     Before you reach for that lotion, dab your fingers in the coconut oil...get about a tsp (maybe a little more)  on your fingertips.  Then pump that lotion in the palm of your hand and mix the two together before you apply it to your skin. 

    Continue you this for each pump of lotion.  Doesn't take much, but use as much as you need.  Really, there is not exact recipe.

You will love this!!  
~DB

Coconut Oil

~This biddy tries to stay beautiful!
   Not much to this post really!  I just love Coconut oil.  My favorite use for it is to put it on my hair.  Yep, this dizzy biddy runs ragged.  Sometimes all those days in a pony takes it's tole.  

So here's what I do:
     Once a week I pick a day when I don't really need to be somewhere or at least look put together.   One evening after showering, I will add about a 1.5 tsp.  to my freshly washed, wet hair.  Be conservative with the amount because it goes a long way.  If you have short hair, maybe only a 1/2 tsp, and for longer 1 to 1.5 tsp.  You don't want your hair overly greasy. BLEC!  Your hubby won't like it either!!

    I try to do it early enough that it can dry before hitting the pillow.  If it's still damp, I will throw a hand towel over my pillow case to protect my pillow.   The next morning, I wash it out.   Note, that if you get too much in your hair you will mostly likely need to shampoo twice.  
     On the days that my hair seems a little extra dry, especially in the winter, I will style my hair as usual then just get a dab on my biddy fingers and work it thru.  It really leaves my hair so soft.   Amazing!!  

~your fearless dizzy leader!