Why is it that weekends never go as planned?!? :) I had a very good weekend, but, it didn't quite play out as I had planned...insert movie quote, "I saw that going differently in my head"... :)
I'll start with an update on the girls.....I finished their pen for what I'm going to do. I have some upgrade plans brewing but I'll save them for next season, after they start producing :) They're about 8 months old and start laying when they are 8-12 months. Other than the egg they layed New Years Day I haven't gotten anything. They seem to be settling in to their surroundings and routine. Now it's time to start laying :) Bettylou (I can finally tell the difference between the two!) almost escaped Saturday. I have an outdoor pen area for them to free range while I'm in the yard. It doesn't have a roof on it but there is a fence that is about 4.5 feet high. She flew out of her yard and onto the top of her coop. I was in the shed but heard her flapping her wings and went to check on her. Inside I panicked when I saw her on the roof, as I had visions of my chicken chasing escapade weeks ago in my head. Outside I was super sweet and calm and acted like I always do when I have a treat for them. I walked behind her coop as she watched me and just put my arms up over my head while I talked in a soothing voice. She of course backed away and the only place to go was to jump back in her pen in the free ranging area. Thank you God for making that easy! I spent the rest of the weekend experimenting with different types of temporary roofing for the pen when they're out there. I think I settled on a beach umbrella :)
On to the gardening...I built 2 beds...3 to go! I still need to till the ground and fill them with dirt so I have a way to go but it's a good start. Hopefully I'll get them finished this weekend! I did get 2 trays of veggie seeds started and will transplant them in a few weeks.
Moving on to my concoctions....I made all of my soaps and I LOVE them!!! They were super easy and I was finished with everything in about an hour. Here's the recipes and my comments:
Laundry detergent
1 Fels Naphta soap bar
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
This smells amazing and makes 10 gallons!!! I haven't washed with it yet but will soon :)
Liquid bodywash/hand soap
1 cup liquid castile soap
3 tbsp coconut oil
5 drops of lavender essential oil
3 drops of tea tree essential oil
This is a MUST make! Everyone should be making this and using it!!! It smells amazing and makes your skin feel great! You can obviously put whatever essential oils you want in for smell. I had a used foaming hand pump soap dispenser that I washed out and put my new soap in. It works perfectly. It foams up very nicely into a generous lather :)
Toothpaste
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp baking soda
1.5 tsp salt
10-15 drops peppermint or spearmint essential oil
This works great. The only change I would make is to use half the salt. You can taste the salt when you're brushing your teeth and that's kind of gross. It does work though! Your teeth feel super clean :)
Deodorant
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
essential oils
This is another MUST make!!! I absolutely love it! The consistency is perfect and it feels amazing when you put it on. It also works :) I think I did lavendar essential oil but whatever you want to smell like will work :)
I ordered all of my supplies online. Most ingredients cost under $5. The exception is the essential oil. I bought a sample box of 6 different small bottles for $20 and didn't even put a dent in them with everything I made this weekend. I challenge you to make these!!! :) My new mantra...made my own soaps, ain't never goin' back :)
I also made pate this weekend. I try to get liver in at least once a week and that's the least offensive way to me :) It came out rather tatsy but I have another recipe I'm anxious to try next month.
Other than dealing with a dead car battery, cleaning and spending time with friends, that was my entire weekend! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried any of this before? What are your successes?
(PS-I have photos from this weekend but the blog isn't letting me upload them right now...I'll try again later!)
I'll start with an update on the girls.....I finished their pen for what I'm going to do. I have some upgrade plans brewing but I'll save them for next season, after they start producing :) They're about 8 months old and start laying when they are 8-12 months. Other than the egg they layed New Years Day I haven't gotten anything. They seem to be settling in to their surroundings and routine. Now it's time to start laying :) Bettylou (I can finally tell the difference between the two!) almost escaped Saturday. I have an outdoor pen area for them to free range while I'm in the yard. It doesn't have a roof on it but there is a fence that is about 4.5 feet high. She flew out of her yard and onto the top of her coop. I was in the shed but heard her flapping her wings and went to check on her. Inside I panicked when I saw her on the roof, as I had visions of my chicken chasing escapade weeks ago in my head. Outside I was super sweet and calm and acted like I always do when I have a treat for them. I walked behind her coop as she watched me and just put my arms up over my head while I talked in a soothing voice. She of course backed away and the only place to go was to jump back in her pen in the free ranging area. Thank you God for making that easy! I spent the rest of the weekend experimenting with different types of temporary roofing for the pen when they're out there. I think I settled on a beach umbrella :)
On to the gardening...I built 2 beds...3 to go! I still need to till the ground and fill them with dirt so I have a way to go but it's a good start. Hopefully I'll get them finished this weekend! I did get 2 trays of veggie seeds started and will transplant them in a few weeks.
Moving on to my concoctions....I made all of my soaps and I LOVE them!!! They were super easy and I was finished with everything in about an hour. Here's the recipes and my comments:
Laundry detergent
1 Fels Naphta soap bar
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax
This smells amazing and makes 10 gallons!!! I haven't washed with it yet but will soon :)
Liquid bodywash/hand soap
1 cup liquid castile soap
3 tbsp coconut oil
5 drops of lavender essential oil
3 drops of tea tree essential oil
This is a MUST make! Everyone should be making this and using it!!! It smells amazing and makes your skin feel great! You can obviously put whatever essential oils you want in for smell. I had a used foaming hand pump soap dispenser that I washed out and put my new soap in. It works perfectly. It foams up very nicely into a generous lather :)
Toothpaste
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp baking soda
1.5 tsp salt
10-15 drops peppermint or spearmint essential oil
This works great. The only change I would make is to use half the salt. You can taste the salt when you're brushing your teeth and that's kind of gross. It does work though! Your teeth feel super clean :)
Deodorant
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
essential oils
This is another MUST make!!! I absolutely love it! The consistency is perfect and it feels amazing when you put it on. It also works :) I think I did lavendar essential oil but whatever you want to smell like will work :)
I ordered all of my supplies online. Most ingredients cost under $5. The exception is the essential oil. I bought a sample box of 6 different small bottles for $20 and didn't even put a dent in them with everything I made this weekend. I challenge you to make these!!! :) My new mantra...made my own soaps, ain't never goin' back :)
I also made pate this weekend. I try to get liver in at least once a week and that's the least offensive way to me :) It came out rather tatsy but I have another recipe I'm anxious to try next month.
Other than dealing with a dead car battery, cleaning and spending time with friends, that was my entire weekend! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have you tried any of this before? What are your successes?
(PS-I have photos from this weekend but the blog isn't letting me upload them right now...I'll try again later!)