Beautiful Life of Joy

Monday, June 18, 2012

How to Make Easy, Homemade, Natural Deodorant

Easy, Natural, Homemade Deodorant

For a long time, I'd tried to get away from using commercial antiperspirants and deodorants, because for one, they are full of aluminum, which may cause cancer, Alzheimer's, and other health problems; and two, recent studies have shown the presence of parabens in 99% of breast cancer patients. That's enough to scare anyone off of using toxic substances in such a sensitive area!

In my quest for a natural alternative, I tried numerous natural, store-bought products, such as Tom's of Maine, The Body Shoppe, Trader Joe's, and crystal deodorant stones. None worked great, and two of them gave me bad rashes!

Then I tried a homemade version using coconut oil, but it tended to stain my shirts (although admittedly I may have used too much oil.) I had read that Dr. Mercola simply used baking soda, but I dismissed that idea, thinking surely that would not be strong enough for me! Well, when a friend mentioned that she, too, used baking soda with no problems, I decided to try it for myself! Lo and behold, it worked! Amazing! Whoever would have thought that something so simple and easy (not to mention cheap!) could work so well!

Easy, Homemade, Natural Deodorant

All you need is baking soda, a dish, and a makeup brush (a flat mineral foundation brush works great.) The one-ingredient version is simply baking soda! For a nicely scented version, you can add the essential oil of your choice. My favorite happens to be orange, so that is the one I use. Just shake several drops into the bowl of baking soda, and stir.

That's it! It couldn't be simpler or more frugal! If you have sensitive skin, you may want to wait a while after shaving to apply. Also, some people may be more sensitive to baking soda, and might want to try arrowroot powder instead, as a gentler substitute. Enjoy!

Linked up at:

Monday, June 11, 2012

Lovely Lilla Rose You-Pins

I just had to share these lovely photos of my friend Stephanie, using Lilla Rose You-Pins! Aren't they simply gorgeous??? You can enter to win an elegant set of You-Pins for yourself this week at Pure Modesty! They are great for your summer "messy bun!"

You-Pins are also available for purchase at Lilla Rose in eleven beautiful styles!

Antique-Style You-Pins

Etched Daisies You-Pins

Copper Rose You-Pins

Princess Crown You-Pins

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

How to Make Easy, Homemade Brown Sugar Scrub

Have you ever tried brown sugar scrub on your skin? If not, you absolutely must! It is an excellent exfoliator and a luxurious moisturizer...not to mention, it smells simply delicious! And if you make it yourself with a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, it is frugal as well!

Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Vitamin E capsules

Simply mix all ingredients together, and put into the lovely container of your choice!

For those who love the scent of fall, here is a nice variation:

Pumpkin Pie Brown Sugar Scrub

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup honey

1 Vitamin E capsule

3 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 TBS cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Linked up at:
Ask Anna
Deep Roots at Home

Far Above Rubies
Free Pretty Things for You
Frugally Sustainable

Growing Home
Raising Homemakers

Time-Warp Wife
Women Living Well

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Repurposed Entertainment Center as Shoe Organizer

For years I struggled with what to do with the mess of strewn shoes inside the front door. Not only was it an eyesore, but it was a hazardous danger zone! For a family of nine, coat closets and small ready-made shoe shelves just did not cut it.

Then we decided to no longer use our entertainment armoire for our TV. ..it was too big and in the way in our family room. Being the thrifty person that I am, I could not bear the thought of just throwing it out. And I probably couldn't even give it away, as entertainment centers are becoming obsolete with the advent of flat-screen TV's. So, I started looking around the house for a new use for the behemoth.

Then, I thought of our front-door shoe problem! It was certainly large enough for all our shoes. And better yet, it had doors to hide the unsightly collection! Why not? So, we got shelving to go inside of it, and presto!...We had a perfect storage solution for our shoes!

Not only does it organize our shoes, but it is a perfect "landing station" by the front door. The top shelf is perfect for holding things that need to be returned to the store or library, as well as items that need to be returned to friends.

I know that there will soon be a glut in the garage sale market of old obsolete entertainment centers in need of repurposing, so why not try a front door shoe organizer!

What item have you given new life to recently?

Shared at:
A Mama's Story
Far Above Rubies
Growing Home
Home Stories A2Z
Homestead Revival
Raising Arrows
Show it off Mondays
The Better Mom
Time Warp Wife
What Joy is Mine
Working Kansas Homemaker
You're Talking Too Much

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Super Moon

These are photos of the awesome Super Moon out our backdoor this evening:

The full moon came as close to Earth tonight, May 5, as it will all year. It was 14% closer to Earth and 30% brighter than when it is at its furthest point. Most definitely a beautiful sight to behold!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Modesty: A Guy's Opinion (Part 1)

After many debates with peers on the controversial subject of modesty, my son decided that a series on modesty from a guy's perspective was long overdue. I've included this preview from his first post here. Please read and share!

(Part 1 of 3)

Part 1: What’s wrong with Modesty?

What’s the deal with Modesty?

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that women are wearing less clothing than ever in our Western society. Is this good or bad? Is it freeing women and improving society? Or is it having the opposite effect?

First off, what is modesty? It has become a “buzz” word today in our culture. “Modesty” has become synonymous with oppression, unattractiveness, judging, Legalism, and a host of other unpleasant words and ideas. But what does modesty really mean? Here are a couple definitions.

1. the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.

2. regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

Just looking at those definitions, they look really good! Who wouldn’t say that a person should be free from vanity and boastfulness, and that a person should act decently in behavior, speech, and dress? No one would refute that those are good qualities to have, right? So then why are so many men and women advocating immodest dress?

Could it be that there is some benefit to wearing immodest clothing that we are not seeing? Or are there problems with modesty that go beyond the definition? What’s wrong with modesty?

One thing I hear often is that dressing modestly isn’t comfortable. For example, one girl (girl A) has told me, “I've always hated skirts and dresses as a child, because being forced into them so often, and I feel bad for girls that dress like Muslims because of it - though, I have met girls that prefer it. It depends on your mind set - wear what you feel comfy in!”

I don’t know what gave her the impression that a girl has to dress like a Muslim to be modest, but does she have a point? Should comfort be the number one factor in what we wear?

That’s a very relative statement. What’s comfortable for one person may not be for another. What if someone feels most comfortable going naked? Should they because it’s comfortable? I think almost everyone would agree absolutely not. Why? Because it’s not respectful to others.

I very much dislike waiting in long lines. It’s very uncomfortable. Should I just start cutting to the front of lines from now on? No, because that’s not respectful to all the other people waiting in line. I have to sacrifice my comfort to respect others. Can you imagine if everyone just ran around looking out for their own comfort, disregarding others? A frightening thought, don’t you think?

So if our comfort will slight other people, then we should forgo it in consideration of others. But is dressing modestly so uncomfortable? What’s so uncomfortable about skirts? I’ve never worn one, so I can’t say, however, my two younger sisters say skirts are much more comfortable than pants. I have a guy friend who won’t even wear jeans because he says they’re uncomfortable. So I don’t think anyone can say skin-tight jeans are more comfortable than skirts. Now, I know a girl who has said that she only wears cleavage exposing shirts because anything higher is uncomfortable. *blink* Really? I almost exclusively wear crew neck shirts, and they are not uncomfortable at all. I think V-necks are actually less-comfortable. But I’m not a girl, so what do I know?...(read the rest here*)

*Please go to Hybrid Student to read the rest of this insightful post, as well as the remainder of this series on modesty. Thanks!

Linked up at:
A Mama's Story
Deep Roots at Home
Far Above Rubies
Growing Home
Homestead Revival
Our Simple Country Life
Raising Arrows
Raising Homemakers
Susan Godfrey Blog
The Modest Mom
These Five of Mine Plus Two
Time-Warp Wife
What Joy is Mine
Women Living Well
Working Kansas Homemaker

Monday, April 9, 2012

How to Make Easy, Homemade, Natural Face and Body Wash

I love, love, love, my new homemade face and body wash! I've been using this for several months now, and love it! It is gentle, effective, and all-natural, with no harmful parabens. It is also oh-so-easy to make!

First, use up a bottle of store-bought foaming hand soap.

Next, pour Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Soap into the empty bottle, filling it about one-fifth to one-fourth full. I use Dr. Bronner's Unscented Mild Baby Soap. It is wonderful for baby wash, as well as for family members with sensitive skin. You can buy this at Target or Trader Joe's.