July 27 - 31

July 27

Working on my sketch.

July 28

Yes, I do own three copies of Pride and Prejudice... :D

July 29

El and Jude- just hangin'. :)

July 30

My mum made these beads when she was a kid.

July 31

Green apples.

How to Freshen Your Office & Outlook With Lavender & Lemon

The Office:
How many of you spend forty hours or more of your life in the office every week, year after year?  Yeah, I thought so...
It can get crazy there! The office can turn a sane person into a loon in no time flat.  I'm going to show you a couple of things you can "make and take" to the office that will help guard against sickness and regrettable moments like this ;)

First of all, take a moment to read all the attributes of lemon and lavender listed above.  Every single attribute could be applicable and utilized in the work place!  Especially DNA repair...for your boss!  No?  :)

With these two items, you can freshen your office and outlook almost immediately!  Bonus: you're disinfecting too.

Lavender Lemon Spritz: 
to lift your mood, sharpen your mind, clean the air and calm your file cabinet hopping tendencies.

Fill a spray bottle with water, 1 teaspoon rubbing alcohol and 3 drops each of lavender and lemon.

Keep a small spritzer of Lavender Lemon Spray in your desk drawer for those times when your co-workers, the stale coffee down the hall and the "always lovely" lunchroom, STINKS.  Give your mental state a lift with a few quick spritzes of Lemon and Lavender...you will be amazed at the difference it can make in your work day.

Lavender Lemon Hand & Desk Wipes: 
to clean and disinfect your desktop, hands, keyboard, copier, phone etc.  Not to mention make everything smell real nice too :)

Combine:
1  1/2  C. warm water
1  T.  coconut oil
1/2  t.  rubbing alcohol
3  drops Lavender essential oil
3  drops Lemon essential oil


Empty wipes container
Bounty Quilted Napkins

Pull out approx. 20 napkins and cut them in half from fold to open end.

Place 50 halved napkins in the empty  container.  Pour the Lavender Lemon water mixture over the napkins and let soak.  Turn the container upside down for 5 minutes to get an even soak.


Let sit a few hours.  


Next, when ready to use...pull the first napkin up through the opening in lid.
Now you're armed with wonderfully scented and disinfecting DIY wipes!

Make your work space a more pleasant place to be with Lavender Lemon spritzer and wipes!  It's healthy, lovely and smart!

P.S.  Be sure to enter the Camp Wander Giveaway!  {3} doTERRA Introductory Kits!  Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint essential oils!    Check blog for details!

How to Make Sassy Water With {100% Pure} Essential Oils

Source

Sassy Water is a lot of different things to a lot of people.  First and foremost, Prevention magazine's Flat Belly Diet promotes Sassy Water (named after Cynthia Sass, Nutrition Director at Prevention magazine) as a Jump Start beverage infused with fresh lemon and cucumber slices, grated ginger and spearmint leaves.

Source

As a twist to this, I'd like to suggest a new Sassy Water using essential oils, pure enough to drink!  Many thanks to Brooke at The Family Kitchen for sharing this recipe!


Using doTERRA CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) essential oils I can splash in a few drops of lemon, grapefruit, ginger, peppermint and cinnamon for a new twist on Sassy Water!  


Why use EOs over fresh ingredients? 




Essential oils are non water based phytochemicals made up of organic compounds.  They're not fat soluble nor do they include fatty lipids or acids found in vegetable and animal oils.  Essential oils are almost crisp to the touch and "immediately" absorbed into the skin.  Pure essential oils are translucent and range in color from crystal clear to deep blue.  While fresh is nice, pure essential oils are more potent and absorbent by the body!

Recipe:

3 drops lemon

2 drops grapefruit

1 drop ginger

1 drop peppermint

1 drop cinnamon

Add essential oils to 1 gallon of water and store in a glass pitcher in the refrigerator.  Shake well before drinking!

Take a minute and read about each oil and their attributes, you'll see how beneficial daily intake of these CPTG essential oils can be.  Please note, that only Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils should be taken internally.

Here's to your health!  Bottoms up :)

Bear Chase

 I had a bad dream the other day.

I was being chased by a bear.

When I finally got to the house and locked the door, it tried to get inside.

And then I woke up.

With a sore arm, 'cause I'd been sleeping on it.

 [I drew the line art in a sketchbook and scanned it into the computer. Then I digitally colored it and added the background.]

Oil Drip Pan Magnetic Board w/ "Rusty" Patina Recipe

Sometimes I run across things on Pinterest that really float my boat.  Wait...make that, ALL the time!  I'm loving this one, it has rustic elegance written all over it...never mind it's oil drip pan.

Did you know that you can go to Ace Hardware or Walmart and pick up a giant magnetic board in the guise of an oil drip pan??  We're talkin 47" X 26" of functional space for under $10!

Here's a few ideas on how to make one of these genius, functional, cheap magnetic boards match your style and work for you!

Pink Postcard found an crusty old oil pan at a yard sale, cleaned it up, added a restaurant element with vinyl letters and hung it in her kitchen for grocery lists etc.  Shabby beach chic deluxe!  P.S.  I'll show you how to add a "rusty" patina at the end of the post!

Nic and Kate went "educational" with their oil pan.  This is a great idea for those refrigerators that aren't magnet friendly! 

The new oil pans are sold with a grease coating but you can remove that with Simple Green or any de-greasing product

Pitter Patter Art covered her oil pan with wrapping paper and modge podge then added scrabble tiles w/ magnets!  Letter tiles are fun for kids and adults alike (hopefully, your people won't get "too creative" like my people do!).    

I love this idea!  In fact, you could adapt oil pans to do exactly this for under $40.  Buy 3, paint one with chalkboard paint, attach adhesive cork tiles to another for a bulletin board and keep the third shiny and metallic as the magnetic board!

For that "Rusty" patina...

Instructables has a DIY method to give your oil pan a shabbier, more vintage look.  All you need is white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, table salt and a degreaser like Simple Green.  AND, a ventilated area while shabbying up your drip pan.  Jump over to Instructables for the step by step tutorial!

Run, don't walk to the nearest hardware or auto parts store to start your project today!

Industrial Chic it!

July 23, 24, 25 & 26

July 23

My little sister made a TARDIS out of Legos. :D

July 24

Morning Glories.

July 25

Yarrow flowers in the garden.

July 26

Princess hair for Amalia. :)

Essential Oils for Pets: Dog Whisperer Approved

Essential Oils Aren't Just For Humans Anymore

Did you know that everybody's favorite Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan uses essential oils in his work with challenging pets?  He does and I'm grateful he paved the way for this conversation!

Let's face it, we're crazy about our pets!  They're family right?  For many of us, our pets are part of the household, they reside in our homes, so doesn't it make sense to be aware of their wellness AND their household footprint too?  Your pet is very much a contributor to the health of your family and home!

In this instance, Cesar is using Lavender essential oil to calm a traumatized dog.  First, Cesar puts 2 drops of lavender in his hands and cups his nose to inhale the scent so he himself can stay calm, then he applies Lavender during a mini massage to relax the poor puppy aromatically and physically.

I've read lots of comments from readers who absolutely SING the praises of Lavender for relaxation and restful sleep!

Now that you know you can calm your dog or cat as well as yourself...1. 2. 3... race! "the kids" to the hammock...zzzzzzz...

How's this for mind blowing?  You can make fleas flee the premises with Melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil.  No more flea collars or chemical dips, no more enduring that endless scratching while you're just trying to watch The Bachelorette for cryin out loud ;)  Man oh man, this essential oil is ESSENTIAL for humans and animals alike, neither home nor dog house should be without this one. 

Put a 2 to 3 drops of 

Melaleuca oil on Fido's collar (cotton or nylon) or apply to a bandanna tied around Skippy's neck...Bye Bye freakin fleas!!  To rid your home of fleas...fill a mason jar with baking soda and 6 drops each of Peppermint and Lemongrass essential oils.  Shake it up.  Now punch a few holes in the lid so you can sprinkle the potent baking soda on carpet and furniture to draw the little buggers out.

*I must warn you that cats are another story, they don't tolerate Melaleuca or citrus essential oils well.  I would speak to your vet before sharing the love with your feline family members!  Okay?  Okay.*

*Epilepsy & Seizure Remedy for Dogs*

I have a friend whose dog has had seizures since she was a pup.  Her owner tried every holistic remedy she could think of.  Finally, after two horrific non-stop seizing episodes, my friend had to resort to synthetic drugs to control the epilepsy.  

One night the seizures came back and wouldn't stop, they had no choice but to take her to the vet so she could be put under and monitored by the staff.  They agreed that if this happened again they would have to put their dog down and out of her misery.

It happened again.  This time my friend thought to grab her bottle of Frankincense and Lemongrass and rub a drop of each into and around each paw.  The seizures stopped almost instantly.  


They were in awe, when nothing else worked and they were at the point of no return, essential oils came to their rescue when nothing else did.


Once the seizures stopped my friend then applied some Lavender to calm their dog and she slept peacefully through the night.  The seizure clusters have returned once since that night and with the same application of Frankincense and Lemongrass they got the same results, almost immediate relief.

*Once again, I need to advise that when serious problems arise with your pets, please seek out professional advice before self treating*

Insect Repellent


Our poor pets are bombarded by pesky flies, gnats etc. in the summer.  Make a spray of peppermint, water (3 parts to 1 part) and a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol (to emulsify).  This potion is really good at keeping horse flies away too!

*All essential oils referred to in this post are manufactured by doTERRA.  They are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils without any additives.

Remember...

Daybook 17

Outside my window- Blue sky with just a few clouds. There's a chance of thunderstorm tonight, though.

I am thinking about- Finally got my Skype hooked up- and had a good ol' girly chat with my besties this afternoon. ^_^

From the kitchen- We picked and snapped green beans this morning- so now they need to be canned.

I am creating- Oh dear. I've been inspired in so many directions lately, that I'm afraid I haven't gotten any of my super-amazingly-creative-ideas done.

I am reading- Yesterday Mollie wasn't feeling well, so I read her part of "Mice of the Herringbone".
Yup. I still love those books.

I am hearing- I'm listening to some songs from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" Broadway show. Some of them are pretty cool. :D

I am planning- After I finish this post I have to go find something to take a picture of for Project 365...

I am wearing- A denim skirt and a red/pink plaid shirt.

My hair is- I just put in up in a bun before heading out to the garden this morning... so it's not super glamorous... ;)

Around the house- My sister in-law gave Lilia and Mollie a cooking lesson this afternoon- which is awesome, 'cause that means I don't have to make supper! :D

Make Nate's Rustic Side Table With Succulent!

Camp Wander was chosen to debut Nate's Rustic Side Table with Succulent Pocket...Hooray!

The simplicity of this piece feeds all my senses because it's rustic, re-purposed, functional, {green} and FREE...

Hooray Again!

As per Nate, all you need is what you pretty much see in the photo.  By the way, I'm creating an entire blog post around one cell phone camera shot so, my apologies for the lack of photos!  Nate doesn't have time for unnecessary details such as two cell phone camera shots....apparently.

Provisions:

1 - cut log to your desired height

1 - 4in succulent (plant)

Sand the top of your cut log and drill a hole large enough and deep enough on top so that a 4" succulent pot (and plant) will fit.  You can varnish the whole table if you prefer or, keep it beautifully simple and rustic.  Set your trendy succulent pot in it's pocket and...

...open a beverage of choice, sit yourself down and enjoy your masterpiece!

P.S.  Nate's my son, and a darn talented son at that ;)

Thanks Nate!